How are You Running?

Admittedly, if you know me at all you know I don't run. My fifteen year old watched me run to hop in the car yesterday and asked, "Mom, were you just running? Where's the bear?"

Whether you are one of those crazy people who love to run for the joy of it, or like me find more joy in ice-cream, please appreciate that we are all called to run spiritually.

So, let me repeat the question? How are you running?

Is it in fits and starts or do you have direction and purpose?

I spend days running in circles and I am delighted to share that there is grace for that.

But consistently, are you gaining ground?

Is there a sin tangling your feet and keeping you from setting a pace?

Is there a wound that keeps you limping?

Are you hydrating? I ask this question almost daily in my house with the three athlete children. But am I replenishing what I need?

Yes, we need water, but we run on God. Is our soul thirsty for God?

Are we sitting with Him? Are we inviting the Holy Spirit into our daily life?

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

I don't know about you, but sin easily entangles me. Sometimes I don't see it coming, and sometimes I do and I still get all tangled in it. That is why these questions are important. I need to strip off the things that slow me down, the buildup can weigh us down.

Confession is the gift that takes the weight.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. 12:2a

He is the how. Jesus does it, He initiates and perfects our faith.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 1 Corinthians 9:24

Jesus is also the prize. He is the why we run.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14

There is an end. There is a finish line and it isn't about how fast I was or the great job I did. It's about what Jesus did.

At the end of this race, I get to enjoy everything I didn't win.

This post is full of good questions. Ask them. Sit in them for a minute with me.

Disclaimer: I blame this post entirely on the Olympics.

Also, please enjoy this picture of me in a race!

Fun Run at Elementary School when the kids were younger!