Our church is participating in the Couch to 5k Run For God event. In August, we will run our first 5k. We are at week 10 right now. Along the way, we have learned how running is like our Christian journey. Each week we learn a bit more about running and have scriptures that we focus on each day we run. We started slow, alternating 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. Now we are running for 27 minutes. How did we get there? By working at it. By slowly increasing our running time over our walking time. This is the same with our Christian walk. You start out slow, learning as you go. Through trials, temptations, valleys, mountains, miracles, blessings, you learn the heart of God. Not overnight. Just like overnight you won't be running 3 miles. It's a race: 1 Corinthians 9:24 "Don't you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win." Be focused on the prize-entering Heaven. Jesus died for us that we could have everlasting life. The race won't be easy. People, situations, circumstances, will distract us, waylay us, keep us from finishing. But hold on. God is on your side. With His strength you can do all things.
You need running gear to run: shoes, socks, shirts, etc. What do you need in your spiritual race? Prayer, reading God's Word, fellowship with other Christians. For both races, you must prepare. You must spend time preparing. You can't run a 5k without practice and training. You can't be a growing Christian without prayer, reading God's Word, growing closer to Him every day.
Have you ever said I can't even before you tried? Think you can't run, but you haven't trained first? If you start out trying to run 3 miles you will get very discouraged. It took us 10 weeks to get to this point, running and walking 3 times a week for 10 weeks. But we toughed it out and stayed the course and now look! Has God asked you to do something that is so far out of your comfort zone you say there is no way you can do that? You can do it! You've trained for this moment. You've been reading God's Word, you've been praying, you've been listening to your Pastor preach week after week. Apply what you have learned and lean on God. You can do it!
Be focused. Keep your eye on the finish line. Don't be swayed by lies, temptations, tricks of the devil. Just as running a race you have to watch for pitfalls, stumbles, and sore muscles, so it is with the Christian race. The devil is out to kill, steal, and destroy. We must be ever watching, be prayed up, hiding God's Word in our heart so we might not sin against Him. You can't be deterred by what your neighbor is doing.
The other day I was watching some runners who were approaching the finish line. Do you know what I saw? Runners who were not watching what the spectators were doing. I doubt they even saw them. They were running, legs stretched as far as they would go, sweat running off of them, fierce looking expressions on their face, arms pumping. All they saw was the finish line. Are you living your Christian life this way? Are you so focused on God that you aren't tempted by the things around you? That all you see is God and you live your life fully for Him?
As I've been training for my first 5k, I realized I haven't been running all out. It's been more of a jog. I can't imagine my face looking like some of the runners I saw. But, if I'm not willing to give it my all, why am I running? I must step it up. I must push myself. How is this like the Christian race? Instead of lolly gagging along, running willy nilly, I must keep my eye on the prize, continually pushing myself, giving my all to God-my conversations, my relationships, my money, my talents, my abilities, my job, my family, my all. All that I am is His, till I have that look on my face and I don't see the people around me, wondering what they are thinking, keeping me from doing what God has called me to do for Him.
What is holding you back from whole-heartedly serving God? Let nothing deter you. Be so focused on Him, the people around you will see Christ in you.
Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
See you at the finish line! You can do it!
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