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12…RUNNING THE RACE

Good morning! I do cardio rehab at one of the hospitals in my area. My thought process has always been that if I have to do something I’m going to have fun doing it and rehab is no different. I’m a competitive soul and there’s a guy there that I’ve become rather competitive with, in a fun way. There is one machine in particular that has spurred on quite the competition between us. As I write this devotion, I currently have the higher score. I know in two days that could change but for now I’m basking in my numbers. lol

Our Christian walk with the Lord is a lot like rehab. We start strong, all excited to do better and serve the Lord. Then as the days and months and years pass by, some of that excitement fades away and we get content with just being comfortable. We go through the motions but we are not growing. The competition with my friend keeps me striving to do better physically but what keeps us growing in our faith?

Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” There’s our motivation. We are to run the race with endurance, which is the capacity for something to last or to withstand wear and tear. During my rehab there is definitely a lot of wear and tear going on and in our Christian walk we also have trials and tribulations. But running a race with endurance means we don’t give up. When we fall, we let Jesus pick us up, dust us off, and set us back on the right path. And each time that happens, we grow in our faith. We’ve all heard the old saying, “no pain no gain.” Well that is as true in rehab as it is in our walk with Christ. Some of my greatest faith lessons have come during times of great pain, but oh what gain they have produced.

Lord, help us run the race You have set before us. Please help us to run with endurance and finish strong. Amen.