Lessons From Running…

When I started running for extended periods on the treadmill I was often encouraged when I remembered Isaiah 40: 31 – “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
…they will run and not be weary…those who hope.

And then there’s Psalm 37: 3–7, but especially the “wait patiently for Him” of verse 7. And then Hebrews 12: 1 – “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Many times while running on the treadmill and in the shoulder I have wanted to stop, feeling pain and my body was screaming. And I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 9:27 – “I beat my body and make it my slave so that…I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” I have only discovered in the past three weeks when I could only find time to run on Saturdays, and even then only two out of the three Saturdays that running is how I remember to put to death my flesh; not to give in to what it asks. I die to self. I need that reminder more often than I run.

Then there was the time I was doing a speed workout, running four or five sets of 1200s (3 laps around a track). I was coming around the last corner of a 1200, wanting to stop when I heard the words, “how much do you want it?” in my head.
How badly do you want to reach that finish line? I accelerated. I was going faster than I thought possible moments before. “I’ll show you how bad I want it.”
And I wonder how often in my life I hold back because I don’t know what will happen. I hold back words or actions in relationships or in my work because I don’t want to give that much of me…it hurts. I hold back. And a voice says, “show me how badly you want it” and I am reminded to go with my whole heart, don’t hesitate.

Another time, on a long Saturday run I was about half-way through when I heard a voice behind me ask for directions. I looked back to see another runner catching up to me. He explained that he had lost his way in the park and wondered where the bike trail was. I told him where it was and we ran together to his car. He was going much faster than I, and it was difficult keeping up with him for a while. I was thankful at first because I tend to run better when I am with someone, and he gave me strength to continue where I wanted to stop. We ran to his car and parted ways and I stopped to walk. I had another 1.5 miles to go but I couldn’t. I used all of my energy keeping up with “mystery runner.”
As I thought about the timing of this encounter I realized that I was also trying to compare myself with other students and trying to work at their pace and not my own. I wasn’t running my race. If I had kept my pace and just let him go, I may have been able to go the distance…maybe. But I’ll never know. But I know the pace I need to be an effective graduate student, and that wasn't what I was doing.

Run your race. Throw off all that hinders. Put to death the flesh.
Go at it with your whole heart.
Wait on the Lord and He will renew your strength.