THE TAKE AWAY  



Run Your Race


By Kersley Fitzgerald







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I'm not as good "laying aside every weight" in my spiritual run. I forget to pray-up when I'm due to interact with a stressful person. I tend to try to figure out how to manage things instead of asking God how I should proceed. I'm terrible at stopping and considering; I'd rather just charge in and get 'er done.

After thirty years of running, I also know my body pretty well. When the allergies are too bad to run or when my hip needs one more rest day. I've even found out how to keep my hips and shins from getting pounded to oblivion. Nike Airs. And all the runners out there just gasped. I know, right? But even though I pronate, my knees don't need the support of Asics or Brooks or Sauconys. I don't need light shoes. And although the narrow heel and wide toe box of many brands feel great when I first put them on, the comfort doesn't last. Turns out I need the soft, loving embrace of air pockets. Plus they come in black and white so I don't look like a paint factory exploded all over my feet.

It turns out the "sin which clings so closely" isn't as easy to manage. There are no arch supports for pride or over-priced kinesiology tape for selfishness. And the damage can't be healed with a bandage and an ice pack. But there are precautionary measures. The other day, when someone was being particularly vexing, I felt the anger rise in me. I have quite a temper, so this isn't a good thing. As I tried to cool down — and he kept talking — I heard "the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20) repeated over and over. I'm not great at memorizing verses, but I had tried on this one a few years ago. It amazes me that it came to mind right when I needed it. I really need to memorize more.

Dillon, one of our writers, has recently taken to ultra-marathons. We all think he's nuts. He discovered his body is just built for it. Gwen runs ten-thirteen miles at a time. I'm lucky to do five. A lot of things go into endurance running. I don't drink a lot, and I don't eat before a 3-4 mile run, but crank it up to ten or more, and you have to carry water and possibly some Gu. I crashed hard during my one marathon because of tanked blood sugar. It wasn't until after the race that I realized I had half a Power Bar in my CamelBak. What a difference that would have made! It's also useful to have a lot of encouragement during an endurance run. One of my mentors told me to never run a race with a negative person. It's much easier to run with someone who's joyful than someone who complains the whole time.

The application for the spiritual run is probably pretty obvious. We can only go so far on our own reserves. We have to fill up on the living water of the Holy Spirit and the Bread of Life. If you let your spiritual blood sugar crash, your spiritual walk gets pretty hampered.

Finally, there's the part about the race that's set before us. In Alabama, my runs were long and hot and often included a jog stroller. In Colorado, they're high and hilly and sometimes include a dog. I can't run here like I'm at sea level. That isn't the "race set before me." And it's silly to run a 5k like a marathon.

Similarly, my spiritual race changes depending on where I am (geographically and in life), who I'm with, and what my responsibilities are. Single college life has a different course than married with a 15-yo son. And my life has a different course than anyone else's. Even my closest friends have very different roles and expectations placed upon them.

So run your race. Know your weaknesses. Train where and how you need to. Keep filled with the Spirit so you have endurance. And run your own course. When everyone has their own God-given race, it means everyone can win. We don't take anything from anyone else by running hard.



Image Credit: Kersley Fitz



TagsBiblical-Truth  | Christian-Life  | Health-Wellness  | Personal-Life



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Published 10-19-16