Recently, while preparing for an upcoming speaking engagement, I asked God to provide a  picture to me – a picture of what it means to live wholeheartedly.  He soon brought to my mind a distance runner participating in a relay race.

After praying for clarity about the vision, the connection became crystal clear. To be a successful relay runner, one must have the right posture; she must be able to reach forward to grab a hold of the baton and reach backward to release it.

To live wholeheartedly you must have a similar approach; you must look ahead and behind.  Look ahead for those you can learn from.

Learning requires a posture of humility; you must recognize the fact that despite all your experience, you don’t know it all.  That acknowledgment isn’t to make you feel bad, but instead, to promote a desire to learn from others with the right attitude.

In addition to reaching forward, you must also reach behind; you must reach back and lend a hand to someone who hasn’t yet covered the ground you’ve already traveled.  Who might benefit from what you’ve learned and experienced along the way?

To live wholeheartedly you must learn to give and receive.  In other words, to live wholeheartedly, maintain the posture of a relay runner.  (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Matthew 22:37-39)

Start today; ask God to show you whose hand you’re to reach for, and who is reaching for your hand.