Run

Yesterday, I ran my first official long run ever - the Philadelphia Broad Street run. There were so many parts of it that I truly enjoyed - the excitement of everyone being there together, the knowledge that all of my training was finally paying off, the feeling that I was accomplishing what I had set out to do. My favorite part though was in the last mile (by this time I was TOTALLY exhausted since I started out running with some people in my med school class who were running a bit faster than what I'd trained at...). As we reached the end of the run, there were scores and scores of people cheering us on and encouraging us. I was reminded of how in our Christian walks, we are constantly spurred on by the encouraging of previous witnesses and angels:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverence the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

I don't know about you all, but I can feel pretty lonely sometimes when I'm struggling through something in my life. Feeling like I'm all by myself makes me want to slow down and give up. How WONDERFUL is it that we have a HUGE group of people that have gone before us who can encourage us in the really difficult task of throwing off all things that keep us from our Savior. Another big encourager for me in the race was the finish line. For us as Christians, the finish line is Christ:

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him enduring the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" Hebrews 12:2

I'm not the best with doing hard things just because I'm supposed to. If I get a list of rules that asks me to do something really difficult, chances are that I'm not going to be the happiest about getting them done. Focusing my eyes on Jesus seems totally different to me however. Having a relationship with someone who loves me intimately and is trying to perfect me into the woman He created me to be makes it infinitely easier to focus on running the race set out before me. One other thing really comfort me as we run out our spiritual race for the Lord:

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, got my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses , so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I absolutely love how Christ's power in us can make a situation that we are completely and utterly powerless in a situation of strength in Him. Only Christ can make us strong in our greatest weaknesses. I pray that today, we can rejoice in the encouragement of fellow believers, focus our hearts on Christ, and ask for the Lord's strength as we're running closer and closer towards Him.