Embracing the Race

By Lisa Preuett

As water quenches a runner’s thirst, God’s word refreshes your weary soul.

Runners of all levels will be awakened to powerful parallels between running and the Christian life, equipped with scripture, encouraged to persevere, and inspired with determination. You’ll be challenged to plunge deeper in your walk with God. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: CrossLink Publishing
• Release date: Nov 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533776952

Lisa Preuett

Lisa Preuett is a follower of Jesus, wife and mom of two. An avid runner, she's completed multiple races from 5K to full marathon. Actively involved in women’s ministry, she thrives on encouraging others in their faith. She resides in Taylorsville, KY. Check out her blog at www.reststopforthesoul.com

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NO TURNING BACK

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

You mean you’re going to pay money to run?

Yes, this is the question many people ask when you mention you’ve just registered for your first race. For those who’ve never run, it really doesn’t make sense that someone would actually pay money to do something that seems so exhausting. It’s one thing to talk about signing up for a race, it’s another to actually go online, register, give your credit card information, and finally click the submit button. Once you’ve clicked that button, it’s a done deal. You’re in. No turning back.

The first time I registered for a race, I wavered back and forth. Do I really want to do this? Do I have enough time to train for this race? What if something comes up and I can’t make it? Am I really cut out for this? But once I clicked the submit button, I knew I’d made a commitment. I was all in. There is no maybe option when you register for a race. You either do it or you don’t. Once you’ve made the commitment, there’s an immediate urgency to follow through with the necessary training. You’ve paid a price and you don’t want to lose your investment. Now that I’ve signed up, what’s the next step?

Is this how we approached the crossroad when we decided to become a follower of Christ? Did we really ponder what we were signing up for? Did we consider the cost? Did we truly realize the commitment we were making when we said yes to him? Was there an urgency to follow through with the next step?

The good news is that when you give your life to Christ, you don’t have to pay anything. No fees. No credit card number required. In this case, he’s the one who paid the price up front. He’s the one who gave freely of himself. He did this while we were still sinners, knowing that many of those he died for might choose to reject the option of signing up for the race. Yet he still did it. For everyone. For me. For you.

Although it doesn’t cost you anything tangible, there’s still a cost. There’s an investment we make. We don’t have to do anything to earn salvation; we’re saved by faith and grace. But it will cost us something when we come out of our comfort zone. It will cost us our pride, selfishness, and desire to take control of our life. When we say yes to Jesus, it means we say no to the ways of this world while allowing him to live out his purpose through us. When we signed up to run the race of faith, we clicked the submit button. We chose to fully surrender and submit to him .

What we get in return is of much more value than anything this world has to offer. Dear friend, we receive eternal life! Forgiveness of our sins. Overflowing joy. Peace and hope for our weary souls. You can’t assign a value to what we receive when we sign up to run this race. It doesn’t compare to anything. It’s priceless.

READY? If you call yourself a follower of Christ, are you all in? When you first came to him, did you consider what it would cost you? Did you consider what it cost him? Are you living your life fully committed to him? What is your next step?

GET SET. Luke 14:27–28 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

GO! Jesus, I praise you for what you’ve done for me on the cross. Thank you for the gift of salvation. Thank you for the promise of eternal life. Help me to live each day with a heart fully devoted to you as I continue with the commitment I’ve made to be your follower. Amen.

ARE YOU THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

If you’ve lived in the runner’s world for any length of time, you’re familiar with all the specialty stores lined with endless racks of nothing but running attire: shoes, socks, shorts, shirts, jackets, and hats. These items are pricy, yet each piece is essential if you desire to be thoroughly equipped for running your race effectively.

I shook my head in disbelief when I paid $120 for my first pair of running shoes. Really? Why can’t I just wear the cute tennis shoes I got on sale at Target? A friend of mine—an experienced marathon runner—explained the facts to me about running shoes: If you don’t have the proper shoes, you’ll be miserable. I had to experience aching feet and knee pain before I realized I didn’t have the right shoes. Shoes are to a runner what tires are to a car. Attempting to use the wrong type is damaging and utterly reckless.

It’s essential to equip yourself with uniquely-designed socks allowing your feet to breathe and avoid blisters. There’s a myriad of shorts, shirts, and jackets specially designed for every season of weather.

God also calls us to be thoroughly equipped. If we’re going to run our race of faith well, we’ve got to be prepared. What does he call us to equip ourselves with? According to today’s key verse (2 Timothy 3:16—17), he’s speaking about the word of God. We must equip ourselves with the powerful words from scripture. These powerful words must enter through our mind and then penetrate like deep roots to the depth of our soul. We have to intentionally embrace them, meditate on them, ponder them continually, and digest them through every fiber of our heart. In doing so we will be prepared for every situation we face.

The scripture in Timothy tells us God’s word will teach us. So we must embrace it and allow our hearts to soak up the knowledge of who he is and how he desires for us to live. His word will also rebuke and correct us when we stumble and get off course. These moments may be difficult, yet we’re promised his truth will set us free. God’s word also trains us for the purposes he’s called us to. The power of his word enables us to humbly walk in the righteousness of Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Just as we invest in essential running attire, Christ followers must make an investment. Not with money—but with our time and effort. We must be intentional with prioritizing our lives around God’s word, no matter what the cost may be. I foolishly thought the cheap tennis shoes were sufficient, yet I suffered the consequences! In the same way, if we don’t invest in God’s word, we’ll end up with something much more serious than painful blisters and aching knees: we’ll end up with painful consequences and aching hearts. Zipping out the door unequipped leaves us empty and too exhausted for running our daily course. Neglecting time in God’s word is an invitation for damage, disaster, and