Love/Hate Relationship!

I hate running.

I think I've told you this before, but I thought I would place a reminder out before I start this post.

When I was younger I pretended to train for cross-country. I only lasted a few months in the summer before I realized that running is not my thing. But the one thing that has stuck with me all these years is a line my coach would repeat, "As long as you have breath to breathe, you keep running."

That line has always rang in my ears, especially as of late when I've been trying to get in shape and go running every night. Mind you, I hate running. There's a beach close by to the Bible School that I run to with a friend, and the first few nights were terrible. I could get about a mile in and stop. Then I could go a little further, and stop. And so on. But that coach from over 7 years ago still says, "As long as you have breath to breathe, you keep running." I didn't like that. So finally I just pushed through it and made it the whole way! Okay, it's really not that excited to run 3 miles, but to me it was a huge feat the first time.

The Bible talks a lot about running as well. The most often quoted passage is 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified."


The path that I run is rather nice on the way there, starting with the long downhill driveway and then as it dips down to the lake. This is great! I feel wonderful running downhill! However, I feel less affectionate towards these hills as I'm tired and winded on the way back. I hate these hills.

This always reminds me of the Christian walk, signifying that there is constant movement (walk means movement!) And even when the path is going downhill, there is still movement required. But it's when the path goes up that things get tough. Which is like in life when things aren't as easy, when the Christian walk is not a walk in the park. And you know what, Jesus promised these times. "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33b)

When I run, I run towards the lights at the beach and then back to my glorious home at the Bible School. I have a destination. Paul says the same thing is with believers; we have a destination. We are not running aimlessly, we are not running because "it's fun", but we run with self-control and a purpose. We run to heaven!

One of my favorite passages is found in Philippians 3, "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Keep pressing on. And as long as you have breath to breathe, you keep running. Run to Jesus.