Blog post October 2nd

Finishing Our Faith Marathon       

Last February I made a decision to get healthy by changing my diet and to start working out.  My experience at the gym started off slowly as I was limited in what I could do.  But as time went on I felt myself getting stronger and knew I was able to challenge myself a little bit more and a little bit more.  I have recently considered working toward the goal of running a 5k (3.1 mile) race.  I should note that I don't enjoy the sport of running.  To make the goal a bit more challenging, some of the ankle and foot pain that I had a year ago when I was told I have Lyme has started to resurface.  Yet I am still considering this goal.

Yesterday I set out on a first for myself, I took to the streets around my house (which have some nice steep hills as opposed to the flat treadmill I usually spend time on) and ran 2.5 miles (my longest since I began my workouts in February).  It was the first step to towards my 5k goal.  You know what passage I thought of as I was running yesterday?  The one we read in Galatians today, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  As my breathing deepened and my legs began to tire I couldn't help but think of how Paul often speaks of our journey of faith as a race.  I thought about the spiritual battles that lie in my life and the struggles I face that often call me to tap out and take a seat as that is easier than forging ahead through challenges and struggles to reach the goal for which Christ has called me.

I reached a point in the road on my run where I could turn and end the run in less than a minute or where I could stay straight and keep on the course.  I will admit that my ankles were hurting and my knees started to feel an ache and my legs felt heavy.  Had I chosen the shorter path I am sure most would have said they understood why.  But I knew a goal was set and I thought of Hebrews 12 where it says to run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.  I prayed for strength and with focus and determination I finished.  You want to know something?  I didn't just finish and collapse on the ground, no I actually finished strong.  I have noticed when I start out on a run I struggle and feel weak.  towards the beginning I wonder what I got myself into but after awhile, despite some ankle soreness or what have you, I find I feel strong and when I finish I feel great in so many ways.

I need to exercise my spiritual walk like I do my physical body.  Life has challenges, pains, struggles, and difficulties that are going to make me want to stop moving toward the finishing line of faith.  I need to stay focused and keep praying for the strength, for the guidance, for the encouragement, for the ability to move forward day by day.  I truly do believe that as I do I will find that I do not get weaker (even though new struggles can cause me to loose focus and feel that way) but that I get stronger and stronger in my faith and more and more capable, through the power of Jesus Christ, to run my faith marathon with perseverance and that I will finish strong.

I am not a runner but (to steal a verse from tomorrow's reading) I know  "I can do all things through (and when) Christ strengthens me." (Phil 4:13)

If you are feeling worn, tired, injured, hurting, alone, lost, etc..... in your faith race Christ is here to give you strength and he has placed others in your life to help you stay focused on the prize, the goal in which Christ has or is calling you.  I'm an message or a phone call away to be a support or source of encouragement as I know others in your life are as well.  Don't loose heart but let us all be encouraged to stay the course, lean on the Lord and to finish strong.