Run for Your Life

Recently in my life, running has become a thing for me. When I was little, I really enjoyed playing sports, but when training and practice started to get more intense and difficult, I was out of there quick. I didn’t like to be told when to run a mile or that I had to sprint under a certain time. I wanted to run on my own terms, not because a coach wanted me to, and with that attitude, I hightailed it out of athletics real fast.  
For some reason though, I’m finding myself running again. It started on a whim, just to get into shape, and that was in May. Back then, I would run in the late mornings after I’d had a while to wake up. Now though, because we live in Texas and late mornings are already more than toasty, I find myself waking up early in the 6 and 7 o’clock hours, just to meet a new running time or distance. And it’s summer. That’s huge. Even when we worked camps this summer or had ministry events, I would get up even earlier to make time for a run. We went to a conference last month and I took my running shoes. It’s nuts. But it’s because I’ve really put my heart into running. It’s all self-motivated. I want to do it.  
I’m learning new things about running, too. Sarah, my friend, roommate, and fellow CCFM ministry leader, taught me proper running form, the ways to hold my arms and land on my feet. I started paying more attention to my breathing and stamina. I learned about eating to run, because several mornings I’ve either had no fuel to go, or felt like my engine was clogged and needed an oil change, all because I hadn’t eaten enough carbs or I’d eaten fatty, greasy carbs. I learned about stretching and cooling down. It’s like a whole new world has opening up now that I’ve gotten into this running thing.
And then sometime last week, I was thinking about all of this new running-ness that God has placed in my life. I’m really big on analogies, and I could feel one coming to mind…
Running is a discipline, just like living out faith is a discipline.
As we grow, our faith takes a turning point. We have a decision to make, whether we really live it out or we just quit when the going gets tough. Whether we quit or we really put our hearts into it. Our role as sons and daughters of God is not something that we can take lightly. It is something that will require sacrifice, as we let go of ourselves and take on the things that God values. Faith is something on God’s terms, not ours. However, they are the terms of a loving Father, who wants what is best for His children, who wants to help them discover their purpose and how to love one another.
If we’re not practicing on the coach’s terms, we’re not in the race. Even if you have a jersey, still doesn’t mean you’re in the race. Anybody can buy a jersey, but not everyone takes the time to carry out the discipline it takes to be an athlete. Anybody can say they are a Christian, but not everyone carries out the effort to live the life, to run the race. They’re Christ’s terms: “Love one another as I have loved you,”[1] “remain in my love,”[2] “do not be afraid little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”[3] If we’re not living on Christ’s terms, we’re not living out our faith.
Like choosing to run, choosing to live out your faith is something you have to do yourself. Nobody is going to come and wake me up at 7 in the morning to make me run. I have to decide to get out of bed. Nobody’s going to make you pray, or make you fully participate in the Mass. They can’t and they shouldn’t. It’s your choice, and it’s a choice that will affect your life forever.
Right before Christ took on His Passion, He told His apostles, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me, you can do nothing.”[4] Without God, we cannot do anything. He didn’t say, “you can’t do anything good.” It wasn’t, “you can’t get to heaven.” “We cannot do anything.” Christ longs to give us life, but it’s our decision whether or not take accept that gift. Nobody’s going to make that decision for us. Nobody’s going to make us live out our faith in our lives. It’s not something that you can be made to do. It’s a personal investment. But, one of the exciting things is, the return on that investment, the fruit of your faith, affects not only you, but all those around you. Not only will you receive life and love from the Lord, but that will flow over to those in your life. A life in Jesus is a life worth living, a race worth running.
And just as a whole new, exciting part of life was opened up to me when I started taking my running seriously, a whole new, exciting part of life was opened up to me when I started taking my faith seriously.    
God designed us to take our faith seriously. If we’re not living out our call to holiness, we’re just wearing jerseys on the sidelines of life, and we were made for so much more than that. We were made to be in the race, but sadly, so many go through life without recognizing this. They wonder at their purpose and at their aim, why they’re here and where they’re going. We are all here to journey towards God, our beginning and our end. We must live our lives accordingly. The letter to the Hebrews attests to this, saying: “let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and preserve in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of our faith.” We were made to run towards God for all of our life, with all that we are. Jesus is the goal of this race, the companion who runs with us and who has run before us, our coach who cheers us on, the one who Himself is the prize.
Be in the race and run well. You were made to run. Run for the gift of life you have been given, that it might meet its fulfillment in eternity. “Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly…”[5]
Run for your life, so as to rest in the arms of Christ. Run so as to win.   

[1] John 13:34


[2] John 14:9


[3] Luke 12:32


[4] John 14:5


[5] 1 Corinthians 9:24-25


 
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