If I were invited to run a marathon right now I would have to, well… laugh. I am overweight, I don’t run and the smoking probably wouldn’t help. Now if I were asked to compete in a marathon in a year, or two, from now I would probably still laugh. Why? Why would I still not want to strive towards it?
Easy.
I don’t want to give up certain “things” and dedicate the time and effort required to be able to compete in such an event. The smoking would have to go immediately, it should anyway. My diet would need to see an extreme makeover. Not that all that I consume is bad but even some of the good foods when I have too much of them becomes a bad thing. I would also need to dedicate a set amount of time out of each day with the sole purpose of preparing for the race. It takes time, dedication and sacrifices to run such a race, it does not happen overnight.
Hebrews 12:1
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.
We are called to run a race marked out for us according to God’s Word. Just as with preparing for a marathon it takes effort and dedication in running our spiritual race. We must give up sin that takes away our endurance and blinds us to the path. We have to get rid of some of the good stuff so that we may wholly focus on our goal. We have to dedicate time daily in preparing and training for the race. We have to alter our diet and feed on the bread of life and eliminate the junk.
The worship leader at the church I attend has recently begun running and even competed in a 50+ mile race. I could not imagine running such a distance. But he didn’t start off with that race he started small. He ran a mile here and 2 here. Now I see his tweets that he ran 4 miles or ran 5 miles and “felt good”. Felt good. As he has dedicated time, energy and effort to running he has really begun to enjoy his runs. They make him feel good. I am sure there is a soreness and tiredness but there is also the great feeling of doing it.
The more we run and the more we dedicate ourselves to running the good race, the more we will enjoy it and want to run more. Obstacles will come, injuries and storms will arise but through Christ we can overcome those and continue on the race.
One thing that is different is it doesn’t matter your age, sex, past, physical condition or disabilities. We can all run this race that God has called us to do. And we can start right now. The starting gun fired when we entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We may tire and feel soreness but the more we keep at it and the more we rely on Christ as our strength the better we will run. And we will “Feel Good”
So let us lace up our running shoes and run the race that is marked out for us. God will pace you.
