Feel like jogging yesterday evening . Get all changed into my tee-shirt and shorts, put on my socks and slip into my running shoes and set for the park.
Spent about 10 minutes doing some warm-up exercises and started off on a 2.4Km journey. The beginning of the run was fine, the pace were regular and my breathing okay...I kept taking a look at the distance marking at the side of the track and each time I saw it, I felt discouraged about the distance I need to run in order to reach the finishing line. Each time I took a glance, my pace became irregular, I felt shortage of breath and the running gets tougher and tougher. I told myself to be focused and kept on running, whenever someone overtook me I will use him or her as a pace marker and run after the person. After much struggle, distractions, perserverances I reached the finishing line 2.4Km away from where I started. I have completed the race.
I couldn't help but to relate my physical experience with the spiritual journey...
WEAR PROPER ATTIRE WITHOUT EXCESS LOADS(POCKET LESS SHORTS IF POSSIBLE) Similarly, as a Christian I have a race marked out before me by God and the run is constantly surrounded not by the trees and shrubs of the park but by a great cloud of witnesses. The run can be as tiring as that of a physical run and the difficulty comes from the load of things that so often hinders, sin so easily entangles(Hebrews 12:1). Just like entangled shoe laces that causes needless injuries and slows me down; hidden and unconfessed sins will retard out speed and makes me trip over the rocks.
WHAT YOU SEE AFFECTS WHERE YOU WILL END UP RUNNING IN The things I fixed my eyes upon also have significant impact in the course of my race, by focusing on the markers stating my distant ran so far would not increase my speed, instead the opposite. Focusing my eyes on things of this world will in many ways affect my relationship with God because when I place all my attention on this earth that I lost touch of heaven. The Scripture teaches us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith(Hebrews 12:2). By directing our eyes towards the Saviour do we have our lives readjusted and tuned in to the Voice from above.
EAT WELL, DRINK PLENTY OF WATER AND AVOID JUNK FOODI have also learnt that good nourishment and plenty of water before the actual race is important. However, downing bottles of water can never be done right before you start to run, it has to be taken in several hours before the exercise and at intervals of reasonable volume. So is it with our intake of spiritual nourishments- the Word of God(Hebrews 4:12). Do we consume the sumptous food from His Word at regular intervals or do we enjoy Bible binge? Do we drink from His eternal spring of living water that wells up within us to everlasting life(John 4:13,14) or do we prefer counterfeit stale water? What we eat affects how well we can run, does our stamina reveals our spiritual diet? Can we start well the journey and end as well as we start?
ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR AND FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE RACE Instructor Jesus(Psalm 32: 8 ) is there for us always, till the end of the age (Matthew 28:20b) and has provided us the best spiritual supplement ever!(Deteronomy 8:3, 2 Timothy 4:16) and also a great cloud of witnesses throughout the journey to cheer us on...
At the end of my life on earth, will I be able to say with certainty that "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
neontetra
just a lil busy these few days.. (plus crapping in other posts 
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