Run the Race

You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face (Gatorade Ad)

Courtesy of Flickr: here

Do you run? Confession: I do not run. I know it's all trendy right now to run, which is great since running is super good for your body, but I have not "gotten into it". Read: pushed through the pain. I'm a wimp. {My pride is screaming at me for admitting that} I've tried to run, but I'm not a fan of pushing my body where it doesn't want to go. Let me change that. I am not a fan of pushing my own body where it doesn't want go. That's my own body. To all you guys and gals who push your bodies to new levels of fitness and health: I'm your biggest fan! You do every day what I'm too much of a wimp to do.

Run the race

That short phrase has been running {pun intended} through my mind all week. No, I don't think God is telling me to enter a race, although I'm sure He would have no objections. Maybe He is asking me to turn my attention to what Paul {author truly unknown} has to say in Hebrews 12:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (vs 1).

Think about a race for a moment. Are you not surrounded by witnesses- witnesses to your pain, witnesses to your strength and endurance, witnesses to your victory. The crowd are witnesses of your journey to the finish line. As each foot hits the concrete, they cheer. You charge ahead unhindered. Every thing that would make reaching the finish line harder is left behind. Right? Again, I'm no runner, but that's common sense.

Is this not what we, as runners here, are called to do?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (vs 2).

Runners, help me out here. Do you fix your eyes on objects during a race? I've heard before that in training to run you should fix your eyes on a mark and fight for that mark. Run, run ,run until your reached your mark. Set another mark, and repeat the process. Maybe seasoned runners don't follow this guideline, but they do have their eyes fixed on the ultimate goal- the reason they run- the finish line.

Again, is this not what we, as runners here, are called to do? so that {we} will not grow weary and lose heart (vs 2).

No, I'm not a runner, who physically hits the pavement. I am a runner, however, who runs a race every day of my life. Some hills require extra doses of endurance, some trails drag on, and then some moments my spiritual endorphins {bet you've never heard that one} keep me high as a kite. You too?

Let's lean into the words of Paul {again, author unknown}. Take them as our own. Throw off all that entangles. Fix our eyes on our biggest fan. Run.

Run the race

I think I get it now.

In His Name,

Jennifer