Run With Endurance

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

I’m 5’2” (if you are rounding), my BMI index isn’t impressive, I’m slow as molasses and I’m just not what you imagine when you think of a runner. I obviously wasn’t a supermodel to start so 35 years and 2 kids certainly haven’t helped matters. I’ve learned over the years that there is little reward from running a race with speed while looking beautiful. But, running with endurance in the presence of God? The rewards are countless… and beautiful indeed! It’s all about focus. It’s more victorious to stand at the start of an x mile journey without fear of what lies ahead – knowing that if you have the right focus, you will make it to the end to claim the prize no matter your speed! I want to be a woman who can laugh at the days (or miles) to come (Proverbs 31:25b).

When I started running, I was a smoker who could not complete a ½ mile loop around a nearby lake without walking. My last race before I had children was a half-marathon (13.1 miles). And today, I have been smoke-free for 11 years! Our determination alone can accomplish incredible things. So what would happen if I completely surrendered to God and completely relied on His power, not my own? O yes, I think there would be laughter indeed. Every day a celebration of what lies ahead! Perfect peace, perfect love, perfect relationship with God in a house built for me where my waistline and heart condition are forgotten nuisances in the presence of the One who was and is and is to come!

Just get your toes on the starting line…. He’ll do the rest!

On Your Mark...

I started running to quit smoking. I kept running to see how far I could go. I devoted myself to running and discovered I could go pretty far. But is that a reason to exercise? Is running worthy of devotion? Can a physical goal be enough to sustain us through the years? Let's face it - life gets complicated and too many things beg for our attention. How to choose? But, I believe we need exercise. Long after it will do anything significant for our appearance or our endurance, we still need it. There comes a point when pounds and inches are slower to fall, the stopwatch is harder to beat, the distance is harder to come by, and for some of us, we can’t even find the motivation to start or keep going, yet we still need exercise to flush toxins, keep organs healthy, restore energy, and promote healthy sleep patterns, just to name a few benefits. Life seems to overtake the importance of exercise and most of us give up because we get discouraged by these images of what we think we should look like. Perhaps we need a change of heart and a new image? We've seen enough infomercials with the supermodel testimonials - let's try a little Truth!

I have found, personally, that apart from God, nothing makes sense. I don't know where you are in your relationship with Jesus or if you know Him at all, but I encourage you to look at exercise through the lens of God's Word. Sister, Jesus loves you, He is passionate about you, He will never stop pursuing you, and He is mighty to save you - even from yourself. He thinks you are just as beautiful today as you were any other day of your life and He holds an attainable image for you. He doesn't want you to be what you are not, He wants you to be the best of who He made you to be. We are the ones who dangle these lofty goals of marathons and 6 day a week regimens and size 6 jeans in front of our alarm clocks set for 5:30 AM. God just wants us to be healthy and maintain what He originally made so we can do what he has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). The abundant blessings that come with obedience are far greater than attaining any physical goal you can conjure up! He can do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) so if you are dreaming of size X, you aren't even in the same ballpark as Him!

Faithfully Fit is a way to be physically and spiritually healthy. It's not a magic formula, it's just an idea to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the One who strengthens us, carries us and loves us like no other! I believe exercise is as important as anything else the Bible tells us to do. I can't love my neighbor or reach the needy or serve my God in any capacity if I'm too tired and toxin filled to get out the door. If you have tried everything else to stay motivated in this exercise battle, maybe it's time you invited the ultimate Personal Trainer along to keep your mind off the miles, the inches, the pounds. Throw that scale away because He couldn't care less what it says! Devote yourself to the only One worthy of devotion and He'll take care of everything else!