Running.

I started to run about a year ago. My motives where typical: being in shape, feeling healthier, better focus in school. But somehow my focused shifted. Pretty soon it was my time with God, then life got tuff and became my daily regrouping time. I would symbolically run away from my problems, talking to God as a ran away from campus. Then when I had run myself into the ground, I would turn around and run back, facing my problems with God, and relying on His strength to get me back. Those were good times.

What I really want to tell you about is this. Running is an analogy to life. If you would like to read on I'll do my best to explain to you what I mean, then you can go out and run and experience it for yourself. You won't really know what I mean unless you experience it, so I challenge you to give it a try. Life is like a race. The bible says so.

First of all we have to run with God. This is huge. God did not give us enough strength to do anything on our own, so after countless attempts to complete the task of simply putting one foot in front of the other, we trip and fall. Our own strength is no strength at all, and optimism and determination are futile. Realizing this fact is all there is to it, but it's not as easy as it sounds. There are now countless distractions to keep you from running with God. There are people all around you when you run out doors. Are you thinking about what they think of you? Are you trying to impress them by you incredible running speed, your form, your pro running garb? Or are you thinking about your comfort; about how much your leg hurts or how thirsty you are, about how you hate running, about how sweaty and uncomfortable you are? Have you given up?, desperately trying to avoid breaking a sweat, or avoid feeling discomfort. You may tell yourself, "There is too much risk, I could pull a hamstring, get dehydrated, it's not worth it." You may play it safe and just walk some where and sit. You have convinced yourself that you have no idea where the finish line is so you said to yourself, "I give up, if God wants me to win this race, he will bring the finish line right here". You may have convinced yourself that everyone is going to wait for you after the race is over, that your just taking a quick breather, that there are no rules, no disqualifications, perhaps you have convinced yourself that there is not even a race going on, that some how you have the ability to change the rules and declare yourself a winner. "After all" you tell yourself, "aren't we all winners?"

We are so easily distracted. We have taken our eyes of Christ. With Him we will shall not grow weary, with him we can run with a speed we can't comprehend. As it says in Isaiah, "Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew there strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint." Don't we all ignore the fact that this verse talks about those who are waiting upon the Lord, and automatically assume that it means that God is going to fill in the gaps in our strength. He is our strength. It makes so much sense, but the more we lose track of the goal, the more our minds wander, and the more we justify our actions with lies and excuses, and accept those lies as truths.

Here is where you come in, and the cool thing is that you can experience this first hand. First you will need some good running music to run to, pick some fast and slow songs on your playlist. Ok, this is a big stretch, but your music is going to symbolize the Holy Spirit's leading in the analogy. Just go with it for now. Now run, and follow the musics tempo and feel. If it's slow song run slower, if it's a fast song run faster. All the while surrender to the actual Holy Spirit as well. Try and avoid the distractions I pointed out early, and don't keep track of your time or anything that's not the point, just run with God. You will find it very hard to run without your mind wandering. Just concentrate on the music. You will feel tired and uncomfortable, but don't let it consume your thoughts or slow you down. Meditate on the truth that it is God who is running through you, that you can't run by your own strength. If this is hard for you to understand cause you run all the time and are decent at it, then try running with your eyes closed. Just do it for a few seconds on a straight section with no major obstacles in your way. The faster your running the more vulnerable and scared you feel when your doing it. But that is what surrendering to the Holy Spirit (running with God) should feel like right? Before the fall, wasn't man naturally in a vulnerable exposed state, naked before God, completely at His will.

So now go out and try it; I promise the more you do it the more you will realize how many parallels there are to life. We can read a verse about running the race set before us, but how will we know what he's talking about unless we experience running for ourselves. Do it.