Acts 20:24, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”
Running has been a favorite pastime of mine for several decades now. Not so much the aching bones, the cramped muscles, or trying to get motivated to run in frigid conditions, but instead the satisfaction of completing a run.
Life, like running, is filled with not-so-fun conditions that can deter many people from wanting to engage in it very deeply. However, it’s the satisfaction of knowing you’ve completed something that really is good for you -- physically and mentally -- that has such value.
Paul often compared his time on earth to that of a runner running a race. He said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
Our training is more than early morning runs come humidity or high winds, sunny or snowy; no, it is about consistency, focus, and desire to be more of what God has called us to be.
Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us what it means to live to the level of faith mentioned in the people in the previous chapter, “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. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
As we wrap up another year what can we reflect on that helps us see our progress? Are we stronger spiritually? Are we more compassionate? Do we give more? Do we pray more? Do we love more? What has changed in our life to aid in our long distance run of faith?
This leads to the next question, how will 2018 be better than 2017? What are we willing to invest in to make our “temple” more pleasing in God’s sight? Let’s rally together to help each other reach greater potential and purpose than ever before.
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