Don't just run to run!

Deep breath!  My heart feels as if it will beat out of my chest.  My water bottle is empty!  I think I need to get some new running shoes; these ones are about worn out.  I need to make sure I have the proper clothing to wear so I don’t over heat.  Training for this marathon is a lot harder than I ever thought it was going to be.  I need to make sure I understand the path to take or I am sure to get lost.  There seems to be many different paths I could take, how will I know what one is the right one?  Am I ready for this?  I better be because it has started and it is too late now!  I’m running a race that started about 26 years ago.  So I guess it might be time to check my gear and make sure it doesn’t have too much wear.

OK so no I’m not talking about running an actual marathon!  But I am talking about one that is way more important!  We all run!  There are times in our lives that we run faster than other times.  There are sometimes we decide it is time for a rest stop.  But the race is still going on.  When I was younger, I ran and I ran fast!  However it was in the wrong direction.  There were things that happened in my life that I didn’t know how to deal with so I ran from them.  Most of the time I ran right into another problem!  Boy that was smart now wasn't it!  It was just sprinkling where I ran from.  Now I am running in a huge thunder and lightning storm.  YIKES!  It got pretty scary to say the least.  Dealing with problems and issues are always hard.  We can find ourselves turning a blind eye to them sometimes in hopes that they will just disappear.  I don’t know about you but I do know that for me, it NEVER happened that way.  Thinking that I could avoid them only made them worse.  But I did run! 

The path for my race has taken many different paths from when I first started out.  Many I chose, some I let God choose for me.  Sometimes I wonder how far I would be now if I only would have allowed Him to choose the path more often.  We all have problems along our paths.  You still run no matter what you decide to do with those problems.  But I began to wonder what direction I was running in.  It is hard to continue to run to what we view as a problem but God views as a growing lesson.  I still find myself wanting to run from the “problem” and just not deal with it.  It would relieve the pressure and weight it adds to me while running.  If someone says or does something to me that I don’t like, sometimes I would like to not face it head on and deal with it.  Sometimes I wish I could turn a blind eye and say “Oh well!”  Then I’m reminded what God has said.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” ~ Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

So we are to not only just run the race we are supposed to do so with endurance.  That means for the long haul.  There are things along the way that will try to trip us up.  If we make sure we have the right kind of running shoes, a full water bottle, and light weight clothing, we can do it for the long haul.  Don’t allow those issues in our path weigh us down so we get tripped up.  In the grand scheme of things is the issue really that big?  Scripture says that it “easily” trips us up!  So my answer to that question would be NO it isn’t.  Not if it easily trips us! 

So this is my challenge . . .  Do you still feel like you’re still training for the race?  Have you not continuously made sure you were fully prepared?  Have you allowed those little things easily trip you up and cause you to run in a different direction?  Are you scared of running where God wants you to run because of what He might ask of you?  Well I’m here to tell you that the training is over!  Get new running shoes on those feet and run brothers and sisters, RUN!  Fill your water bottle with strength from God.  Clothe yourself with family and friends that run with you!  Run this race with passion and compassion,  strength and love,  hope and reassurance, and most of all RUN with a lighter load!