Are you off course?

Charlottesville, Virginia is a hilly place! It is something my husband and I are trying to get used to, especially as we have tried out a few runs.

We typically do “run, walk, run” intervals. Combine that with the ups and downs of the hills and a few wooded trails thrown in and our pace can be pretty erratic.

The other day we went down a wooded single wide trail on part of a run. I kept my eyes alert and my feet high, trying to make sure I didn’t smack my face on a branch or trip on any tree roots hidden beneath the fallen leaves.

I couldn't help but wonder how hard it would be to get back if I fell and needed medical help while simultaneously wondering what the trail had in store up ahead. It made me keenly aware of how Jesus is right there with me.

My job is to run the race set before me with faithful endurance, while fixing my eyes on him. Too often I forget the objective and try to create my own "worldly" finish line that gets me nowhere. It takes endurance to faithfully navigate the ever-changing terrain of life and not veer off course. How about for you?

Questions

How does your pace match up with your current terrain?

Are you running with endurance or toward burnout?

How can fixing your eyes on Jesus impact the pace of your life?

What happens to you when you take your eyes off of Jesus?

Scripture

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2