Running the Race

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us . . . Hebrews 12:1

I certainly didn't start jogging for the spiritual experience....but I've been surprised how it has brought me closer to God. I would be having a particularly difficult time and this verse from Hebrews 12 would pop into my mind and become a cadence for me. Then as my Dad has become more sick (he has lung cancer and recently decided to discontinue further treatment), jogging has been a solace - a time of running through tears, occasionally yelling at God, asking why but knowing the answer, and a time just to clear out my mind. Sometimes I don’t think about anything but the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the pavement.

I'm seeing a lot of spiritual parallels in running. For instance, my inspiration verse says to lay aside every weight. I'm an ADD running - if my shoes aren't right, my shorts are bugging me, my socks slip down, my headphones are not sitting quite right, I have trouble focusing on the running. I will fidget, play around with the offending item, and generally be totally distracted until it is put straight. I also don't run with jewelry, use the lightest shoes and clothes possible, and don't carry water bottles or other things with me. Do I make this much effort in ensuring that my spiritual life is without encumbrance and I can stay focused on the race set before me? I think not.

As I ran my first 5K this last weekend, I even saw a parallel with the cloud of witnesses. There were so many people along the route that kept cheering us on. They’d clap their hands, run alongside us, and cheer – “You can do it!”, “Don’t stop now!”, “You’re doing great.” They could see what I was trying to accomplish and knew I was focused on that finish line! Do I share with others what my spiritual race is at the moment? Do I ask for their support and prayer in a tangible way? Am I honest with them about what is holding me back? Mostly, no. What an opportunity I’ve missed by not allowing my faithful friends to come alongside.

I have a race that God has set before me – I must train and prepare myself just like I did for this first 5K race this weekend. I must lay aside those things that will slow me down or distract me. I will need those faithful witnesses to cheer me on and probably at times to pick me up when I fall. But our God is a great God, and He knows what we need to win the race.