To those walking,
Whew! Since when could my body sweat this much. I swear it was like I had just gotten out of the pool. You may be thinking, “Ew, Chris that’s gross,” but all I was thinking was water and air conditioning. You see the other day I ran 2 miles. Yes, 2 whole miles! And yet I was looking like the Niagara Falls.
I hope you’re picking up on the fact that I was utterly and hopelessly exhausted, that I was out of shape, and that my run was beyond difficult. But here’s the kicker: On March 19th (around only 6 months ago) I gloriously passed the finish line of Baylor’s Half Marathon. For those of you who don’t know a half marathon is 13.1 miles! Just 6 months ago I was running 13.1 miles and now I could barely do 2. In fact I struggled to do 2 miles without walking. Hmmmm. What was going on? I was shocked to find myself having to exert so much effort on 2 measly little miles.
It’s funny how this happens to us as Christians too.
Do you see the connection?
For some reason we’ve been duped into thinking that our past accomplishments actually mean something in the present. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Since March 19th, 2011 till this slip n slide of a run I have only gone for a run twice. After the Bearathon, I was tired of running, and apathetic towards even the thoughts of doing it. I went months, literally months without ever putting on my running shoes, and yet I somehow had the audacity to assume that since I had ran 13.1 miles months before surely I could lace up the Asics and hit the ground running… how wrong was I.
You see, spirituality is a lot like running; it’s a continual practice.
It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve gone to church, attended bible studies, or read the bible, all that matters is if we are continually staring at Jesus. All of those 13.1 miles weren’t going to save me from the last 2. All of that effort I put into training for the half wasn’t going to save me from all of the running I had put off. All of the things we have once done, in and of themselves mean nothing for the present work of The Kingdom.
In 1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul says, “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” Paul, a man who had done extraordinary things and had reached an extraordinary number of people, realized that he had to constantly train himself in order to prevent spiritual dystrophy.
In order to finish the race strong we must constantly strive.
We have to give everything we have to God on a daily basis, not just Christmas and Easter.
We must continually and consistently run.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that what you have done makes up for what you aren’t doing.
Train now and you’ll avoid the sweat.
Merely,
Chris Gerac
“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12, NIV
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