The Race that Matters Most

The other day when I was running I began to think about how spending time with God: reading my Bible and worshipping Him is a lot like working out. Sometimes there are days where I will spend the majority of the day with this nagging feeling telling me I should go work out and I just keep putting it off. When I finally do it, its like I have this amazing feeling after; especially after a really long, hard run in which I know I put all my effort and endurance into it. Then when I am done I have this great, rewarding sentiment; my spirits are lifted in a sense. I have found that after I spend time in prayer and with God, a really intimate span of time where I can build my relationship, worship my savior, and gain knowledge from His Word, I get that same “cloud-nine” type feeling.

“Getting in shape” does not solely relate to the physical, but the spiritual as well. To get into shape physically I need to eat right, work out regularly, and put time and effort into it. If I am trying to stay “in shape” I am not going to continuously fill myself up with junk food that is going to weigh me down and hinder my progress, but I am going to fill myself up with healthy food. The same can be said for my spiritual workouts; in order to get the most I can and become the woman God wants me to be I need to be fed with the “healthy foods” of life. For example, by limiting my intake of certain media, i.e. TV, shows, music, movies, books, Internet, etc. I am not going to be weighed down with worldly thoughts that just take up space and slow me down in my desire to grow closer to God. Not only does this time and effort need to be put in for my physical body, but for my spiritual growth too. How can I expect to run a few miles and make progress without first taking the time and effort to get into this shape? How can I expect to automatically be close to God if I don't put the time and effort into this relationship?

This workout analogy can be taken a step further as well. For instance, I have found that having a running partner really pushes me to get out there everyday and it is encouraging to have someone to relate and talk to. I definitely think it is important to have a good, Christian friend; someone who is not afraid to hold me accountable and be there to talk to. When you get into shape, it inspires others around you to want to get into shape; therefore, when you draw close to God, other people are going to notice that and they are going to want to be spiritually fit too. So the next time I find myself filling up on those unfulfilling entertainments, I am going to stop being spiritually lazy and go run to Him to get my mind, body, and spirit into shape.