thoughts from yesterday
Yesterday morning I spent 3 hours and 15 minutes (approximately) walk/running a half-marathon. Yeah, it was a great way to spend a Sunday morning. This was the first time that I did a long distance event like that that I was just doing it to do it. I didn't feel compelled to do it. I didn't feel driven to do it. I just did it.
I was telling my mom after I had finished and we were cheering on my dad that I liked it because there was no pressure, no higher goal. It gave me time to really soak in the experience, to be in the moment, to see the bigger picture.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." - Hebrews 12:1,2
This is the verse that I always think about when it comes to running, but yesterday I finally seemed to grasp something more out of this verse. A marathon is like life and the church. There are all these people who are at different stages of life--who run at different paces, who have different life experiences, who are each individual people. But we are all in this together.
Most people who run a marathon (or half) don't run to be competitive. They run to run the race. There are about 3 people who are actually competitive, and everyone else is just there...doing it to do it. But we are all each others witnesses. The church is a great cloud of witnesses. This surpasses denominations and factions and even time. Everyone who is a member of the one true church is a part of the great cloud witnesses.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24,25
And this great cloud of witnesses is there to hold us accountable, to spur us on toward love and good deeds. We are there to encourage one another to keep our eyes fixed upon the author and perfecter of our faith.
Marathoners doesn't look back. Their eyes are constantly and firmly fixed upon the goal ahead of them. They don't stray from the course that is marked out for them. They don't quit. They don't stop. They stay the course, and they receive the prize for finishing. And along the way they encourage each other. They tell each other to keep up the good work. They tell each other they are almost there. They tell each other to keep going.
That is what the church should be like. That is what we are called to be like. We are told to encourage one another, to spur one another on, to love one another, and to be witnesses in each others lives. I know I felt supremely convicted that I can do a better job of encouraging my brothers and sisters, that I can be a better witness.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7,8
May this be that which we strive after, that when the end of life draws near, we may be able to say this with Paul. Fight the good fight. Run to the finish. Keep the faith. Stay the course.
I was telling my mom after I had finished and we were cheering on my dad that I liked it because there was no pressure, no higher goal. It gave me time to really soak in the experience, to be in the moment, to see the bigger picture.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." - Hebrews 12:1,2
This is the verse that I always think about when it comes to running, but yesterday I finally seemed to grasp something more out of this verse. A marathon is like life and the church. There are all these people who are at different stages of life--who run at different paces, who have different life experiences, who are each individual people. But we are all in this together.
Most people who run a marathon (or half) don't run to be competitive. They run to run the race. There are about 3 people who are actually competitive, and everyone else is just there...doing it to do it. But we are all each others witnesses. The church is a great cloud of witnesses. This surpasses denominations and factions and even time. Everyone who is a member of the one true church is a part of the great cloud witnesses.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24,25
And this great cloud of witnesses is there to hold us accountable, to spur us on toward love and good deeds. We are there to encourage one another to keep our eyes fixed upon the author and perfecter of our faith.
Marathoners doesn't look back. Their eyes are constantly and firmly fixed upon the goal ahead of them. They don't stray from the course that is marked out for them. They don't quit. They don't stop. They stay the course, and they receive the prize for finishing. And along the way they encourage each other. They tell each other to keep up the good work. They tell each other they are almost there. They tell each other to keep going.
That is what the church should be like. That is what we are called to be like. We are told to encourage one another, to spur one another on, to love one another, and to be witnesses in each others lives. I know I felt supremely convicted that I can do a better job of encouraging my brothers and sisters, that I can be a better witness.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7,8
May this be that which we strive after, that when the end of life draws near, we may be able to say this with Paul. Fight the good fight. Run to the finish. Keep the faith. Stay the course.
Thank you for this. Thanks Paul, Thanks God.
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