Friday, July 25, 2014

Training for the race.

Winter, the only time I find running pleasant.
I've been heavily emphasizing training and running a spiritual race lately. I think it must be that I'm finally coming to grips with the fact that I'm actually in a race. When you finally realize what's up, it kinda helps. I can now purposefully work towards something, to put the blinders on, to get to work, and train hard. There is a perspective shift, from temporal to eternal. 

If you ever needed encouragement in a time of struggle and adversity, read Hebrews 12. I can't even begin to explain how amazing that chapter is. The first two verses set the tone:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
It's like Philippians 3:13 all over again. Anything we do, whether it be entering the rest of God, or striving to run the race, takes leaving things behind. It takes work to give up the junk and burdens we cling to so desperately. But we absolutely have to give up the baggage and dead weight in order to run and rest when needed (Hebrews 4:10-11). We have a goal and purpose to accomplish. Between you and God, there's no room for idols. If you've ever wondered what you truly worship in your life, ask yourself what it is your thoughts rest on whenever you have downtime. What is it your thoughts go to without fail?

The challenges and obstacles we encounter in the race are all necessary to train us, to discipline us. Christ is "the founder and perfecter of our faith," and so, we know that we haven't earned our "sonship". We have been accept and adopted as sons and daughters, therefore we ought to act in obedience, and we can also expect to be disciplined as such. Discipline turns our gaze to God, and fosters in us righteousness and holiness. Faith is refined and perfected through discipline.
"12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." (Hebrews 12:12-13)
Mistakes happen, sometimes we trip up, but that's what discipline is for. The key is in learning from the mistakes, and accepting the correction from discipline. The other side of discipline is in enduring, and lifting your head up even when the going is tough and feels tiring. When we submit to discipline, not only do we run properly (to avoid injury), but we prevent re-injury, allowing healing from our failures to occur the right way. We are then ready to handle the next hurdle. 

If there's one crucial thing I've realized this past week, it's that with each hurdle, I have been left with no choice but to trust God. Full surrender, and submission to godly discipline makes us realize that we would not even dare to trust in anything else, because the best option is and will always be God's way. 



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