Run the race
Posted in 1 Thessalonians 5, encouragement, Hannah's post, Hebrews 12, run the race 1 comments
As an awkward child with an occasional heart monitor and borderline narcolepsy, sports was never a favored pastime.
I would like to be athletic, but then again, I want to also sound like Karin Bergquist from Over The Rhine when I sing. We aren't always given the gifts and talents we want. Or as my daughter, Missouri, would say, "We can't all be Cinderella. Deal with it."
I know I'll never make the box of Wheaties, nor will I ever sound like Karin, but I believe God has given me plenty of gifts.
Ever since I was little, God has used me to encourage others. It's hard to explain, but I have always felt, as long as I can remember, that God speaks to me. I hear His voice, feel the stirring of His spirit and I know He is speaking in my life.
It's an accepted belief that we have a "spiritual" side and a "fleshly"side, but God spoke to me this week and I believe that way of thinking is wrong. This division sounds as if we are saying, "One part is for God and one part is mine to keep."
As believers we must surrender both parts.
Paul writes in Romans 12:1-5 that we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. He doesn't say, "Give up your spiritual side to better serve your Savior." He says we need to offer up our bodies, our fleshly desires and sinful human nature, so we can live holy and pleasing lives to our God. In a sense, our spiritual side is not even noted here, because our entire lives are to be lived as an act of worship, a sacrifice to the Lord. In other words, we don't have a spiritual side, because we got spirit all up in this corpse.
I would like to be athletic, but then again, I want to also sound like Karin Bergquist from Over The Rhine when I sing. We aren't always given the gifts and talents we want. Or as my daughter, Missouri, would say, "We can't all be Cinderella. Deal with it."
I know I'll never make the box of Wheaties, nor will I ever sound like Karin, but I believe God has given me plenty of gifts.Ever since I was little, God has used me to encourage others. It's hard to explain, but I have always felt, as long as I can remember, that God speaks to me. I hear His voice, feel the stirring of His spirit and I know He is speaking in my life.
It's an accepted belief that we have a "spiritual" side and a "fleshly"side, but God spoke to me this week and I believe that way of thinking is wrong. This division sounds as if we are saying, "One part is for God and one part is mine to keep."
As believers we must surrender both parts.
Paul writes in Romans 12:1-5 that we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. He doesn't say, "Give up your spiritual side to better serve your Savior." He says we need to offer up our bodies, our fleshly desires and sinful human nature, so we can live holy and pleasing lives to our God. In a sense, our spiritual side is not even noted here, because our entire lives are to be lived as an act of worship, a sacrifice to the Lord. In other words, we don't have a spiritual side, because we got spirit all up in this corpse.
Sometimes we have sins and attitudes in our lives that hold us back and hinder us from going where God has called us to go. Some of us are dragging around massive burdens and heavy weights, because we feel we can't let them go. That slows us down and leaves us feeling like we can't carry on.
It's time to give it up, strip it down, and get real honest about gaining the discipline we need to run this race of life.
On Monday our nation witnessed, once again, another act of senseless violence at the Boston Marathon. Although I try not to watch the news, the sadness was everywhere. When things like this happen, I feel we are all left without the right words to say, because there are no answers here. My heart grieves for the families and friends of those affected by this horrendous event.
And although my prayers are with Boston, I believe God has given us each other, our gifts and His presence to encourage the runner in all of us, whether you physically run or not.
"Running the race" may be one of the Bible's -- or Paul's -- favorite analogies to, ahem, run with. As believers, we are all called to run this race and have the sort of discipline and endurance that it takes to finish life's marathon.
The Message translation of Hebrews 12:1-2 right now is a much-needed pep talk from our Father: "Do you see what this means; All these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed -- that exhilarating finish in and with God -- he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
Believers and runners of the race, we have faith in Christ because we have no guarantees in life. "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1) We don't know what is going to happen, but we believe in faith and have hope in our Heavenly Father, so we can run, not grow weary, help others along the way and finish the race.
There will always be hurts and horrors. There always have been. Friends, the first brothers born on this Earth became the first murderer and his first victim. We came out horrible straight out of the gate, guys.
Today, I encourage you to take a moments away from the sadness and hurts of the world and renew your mind. Know that despite how terrible the world might seem, God has called us to be set apart, different. Be a light in the dark places. Pray continually. Find our what your gifts are and use them to help others as we run this race together.
Take time to read 1 Thessalonians 5. Welcome the promises of God, dwell on Scripture and remember the grace of our Savior. We cannot change or control the evil and ugly that others do to us, but we can control how we react and what we do with God has given us. Don't get discouraged. Keep the faith and keep on running the race.
Today, I encourage you to take a moments away from the sadness and hurts of the world and renew your mind. Know that despite how terrible the world might seem, God has called us to be set apart, different. Be a light in the dark places. Pray continually. Find our what your gifts are and use them to help others as we run this race together.
Take time to read 1 Thessalonians 5. Welcome the promises of God, dwell on Scripture and remember the grace of our Savior. We cannot change or control the evil and ugly that others do to us, but we can control how we react and what we do with God has given us. Don't get discouraged. Keep the faith and keep on running the race.
1 comments:
Thank you, Hannah, for this word. Sometimes world events get overwhelming and we can be tempted to despair if we don't do as you said and renew our minds by spending time in God's presence. We can't be salt and light if we are perpetually weighed down by hurts and disappointments.
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