My son Ben began running in grad school as a way to stay
healthy. In the last year he’s moved into running races; half-marathons, full
marathons, and even two 50ks (31 miles)! When I asked Ben his race strategy, he
said the key was to stick to a pace his body could maintain. If he went too
slow, his legs felt too heavy to keep moving. Running too fast drained him of
energy and cardio strength too soon. By running every day, Ben learns what pace
works with his body instead of pushing against it.
Runners encounter physical, mental, environmental, and
emotional barriers. The challenge of navigating these difficulties and crossing
the finish line motivates runners to keep putting one foot in front of the
other. Paul encountered numerous barriers: prison, shipwreck, beatings, loss of
relationships, etc. and yet he found his own pace in pursuing Christ.
I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV)
Many times I hear Christians beat themselves up for not
being farther along in their walk with the Lord. Rather than asking God to show
them how to set the pace, folks either run too slow or too fast. We can become
weighed down by rules, beliefs, and burdens which God does not call us to carry.
Defeated, the spiritual race can become too legalistically heavy to run. Or
folks will often push themselves to take on an overwhelming amount of tasks
(praying more, extra Bible studies, ministry work) as a way to quiet internal
guilt.
We each have barriers to overcome in our sanctification
journey. Hurt, pain, fear, legalistic beliefs, etc. all separate us from God’s
heart—the spiritual finish line. For some, healing comes through finding
acceptance and love through ministry. God calls some folks to take great leaps
of faith in order to press through fear. Others are called to sit on the
sidelines and rest. Comparing your race with someone else causes you to run
someone else’s pace. Learning to follow God’s timing gives the necessary perseverance
and endurance to finish the race God has set before you.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons (www.foxylearning.com)
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