As our thoughts turn to spring and warmer temperatures, many of us begin to think of things associated with that season. When I personally think of the coming spring season, I think of "The New England Flower Show" which runs from March 11-19. Then we celebrate Easter on April 16 and then the Boston Marathon is on April 17. While thinking of these wonderful warm weather events. The Boston Marathon made me think of some things that everyone can learn from. Not so much the race itself, but how it is run and the preparation. I wondered why so many fail to make it to the end and how do those that do make it to the end, prepare for the race. You can draw a parallel with the Marathon runner trying to win that race and we as Christians working to win the race of life, finishing in great condition.
The Marathon runners take months and sometimes years to train their bodies to endure such a challenge. You could never just get out of your Lazy Boy recliner at home and run twenty six miles successfully. Why then should we as Christians think that we can run the race of life without proper preparation? I have a friend who runs in the Boston Marathon every year. I've known this man for twelve years, and each year when I ask him how he prepares for the race, he always has the same answer. He starts off running one mile a day and then he increases it to five miles a day and then ten. He does this until he's doing twenty mile runs every other day right before the marathon. So what he's doing is conditioning his body to endure, while also increasing its capacity and strength.
As Christians, we need to apply a similar philosophy to our Christian walks. We need to spend more time in God's presence everyday. Whether you’re having prayer time or reading the Bible each day. Our reading and prayer time doesn't have to be for a set amount of time, but when we spend that time we should feel that we have spent quality time in the presence of the LORD. I can't get that feeling from just reading five pages of his word, or by praying a quick prayer on my drive to work, nor have I met another Christian who can get by with very little time spent in God's presence.
We need to constantly be conditioning ourselves by spending more time in God's presence. If you’re currently spending little or no time, I want to encourage you to make a concerted effort to spend a little more time each day. You will eventually find the amount of time that you need to spend with our Heavenly Father. You'll know you've reached your peak condition because you will feel a completeness that you just can't get by spending mere moments with God. You'll reach a place where a little is never enough. 1 Corinthians 9:24 say’s Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
The more time we spend learning about our faith, growing our relationship with God and putting into practice what we've learned, the better we'll endure. The world is full of negativity that can easily wear us down. If we are not strong in the Spirit (God's Word) which is Spirit and Truth, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the negativity of this world. When we are strong in the Spirit, we are able to get past the negatives and also encourage others by speaking positives into their lives. This is what the LORD wants us to do.
We are to be the winners of lost souls. In order to do this we need to train like athletes, strengthen ourselves in God's word, and spend time in communion with Him so that we are familiar with his ways and not just our own. In doing this we equip ourselves to not just make it to the end of life's race, but we are then equipped to win. Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
Please pray this with me
Heavenly Father, I thank you being our source of strength and for being our provider. LORD God, your word tells us to strip off every weight that slows us down. We know that some of these weights can be sin, guilt, oppression and depression. Father I ask for your help in shedding these weights so that the load is lighter and the race is easier to run. Forgive us father for allowing these weights to hinder our forward progress. Forgive us Father for not spending the time with you that you would want us to spend. Father I pray that you would give us all the strength and wisdom that would help us to equip ourselves properly with the things we need, to not only run this race of life on earth, but to run it in such a way that we win the prize which is your pleasure in us.
In Jesus Name I Pray
Amen
God Bless You All
“The Sharpshooter”
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