If you followed my husband and me in the morning you would see us head out in running shoes and clothes and head for the road pictured to the right. We walk most every weekday morning. We’ve done it for many years now. This road is my incentive because it’s so pretty, it’s quiet and we hardly ever encounter cars once we get to this dead end street.
However, to get there we have to climb a very steep hill. You can see in the distance is another good size hill. We get a really good workout on our walk/jog. Some mornings it seems impossible to climb these inclines; other times it’s a piece of cake (oooo, poor choice of words when talking about exercise!).
When we got home from our walking/jogging yesterday my husband said, “You know, running is a lot like the Christian life.” We then made some good comparisons. Here are a few:
You get some new running shoes and a good outfit to run in and you’re all excited about getting started. A person gets saved, or gets back on the right track with the Lord, and they’re ready to set the world on fire for Christ. You start up the first steep hill and you wonder why you ever decided to do this! Not long after you set out to serve the Lord, hardships come. It gets really hot when you run. Serving the Lord isn’t always comfortable. You get tired. The believer gets tired of doing what is right. But rather than quitting, you keep going. You don’t stop. Pretty soon, you’re seeing the benefit. Clothes fit better. Cholesterol and blood pressure numbers improve! The believer that keeps running the race and doesn’t get side-tracked sees the reward from following the Lord. Perhaps they lead someone to Christ, they’re seeing victory over sin, or they see the fruit from the study they’ve completed. When you get back from exercising, you’re really glad you didn’t eat junk food that would have weighed you down. The believer realizes the importance of being pure from sin. The doctor is going to be so happy next time he sees you and you’re in better health! The Lord will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of the Lord!”
Exercise is great, but there’s nothing better than walking with the Lord and staying faithful to the end. Are you in shape spiritually? If not, tie on your shoes. Then don’t quit!
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