There was more than one lesson the Lord wanted me to learn from my jogging experience at the cottage the day He wanted me to jog for an hour. After 36 min., the time when I would normally be done 5 km I discovered that my body wasn’t interested in continuing to jog. At that point I had to resolve to continue beyond what I was used to. It wasn’t too difficult to start with, but after another 10ish min. I found my mind started focusing on me.
My legs were starting to feel the additional workout. My thoughts wandered… “It was probably just me wanting to do this extra time and not the Lord, after all, what did He care? This is stupid, there’s no purpose in this. I won’t be able to complete this anyway so why bother. It’s too long a time and I’m not strong enough. Maybe I’ll just cut it short…” It is so easy to get our minds focused on ourselves, our feelings, our thoughts when we are challenged instead of focusing where we should.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith… Heb. 12:1,2
When I began to look at the set turn around place, keeping my eyes on a particular sign there, I found my thoughts focused on that instead of what my body was feeling. My thoughts followed suit and kept the though, just to the sign and you can head back. My new focus, instead of being on me and my feelings, kept me going. Once I turned around to go back to the cottage, my resolve was to get back to the cottage. Each step became easier with that goal in mind. I realized that to ‘win’ the race of life, I would need to keep my eyes on Jesus and stop looking at me wondering if I could do it, wanted to do it, felt like it…
…run your race to win. To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. … So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. … Like an athlete I punish my body, treating it roughly, training it to do what it should, not what it wants to. Otherwise I fear that after enlisting others for the race, I myself might be declared unfit and ordered to stand aside. 1Cor. 9:24 -27 TLB
The ‘prize’ of eternal life with Jesus, our Love and Savior, is what I am running for. In order to 'win', my flesh can not determine what I will do. Instead, I must purpose every step to be used for God’s glory and not my own. Even when it gets tough moving forward, I’ve got to ignore the body wanting to focus on itself and continue to run.
Athletes around the world will tell you they train even when they don’t want to- just to try and win a contest. Their bodies submit to what their minds determine they must do. On my jog, I (finally) kept my focus on getting back to the cottage, and on Jesus who gives me strength to endure. ‘At the finish line’ I had a great sense of accomplishment, and it was a surprisingly spiritual moment, one of gratitude for a God who continues to teach me and strengthen me in the ‘race of life’.
So in all of our journeys with Christ Jesus, we must keep our focus on Him and remember He is ‘waiting for us’ at the finish line of Heaven with arms open to receive us. We need to keep that in mind as we run this race of life set before us- for in Him we get our strength (Ps. 28:7) to endure.
Jesus, help us keep our focus on You today and every day.
and thanks for continuing to help us learn…