There is an old saying, "No pain, no gain". Is this just a godless myth or an old wives' tale? Now, while we must remember to keep things in balance, I think this saying does have truth to it, both in the physical and spiritual realm. I know that the pain in my life has brought gain when I have allowed Christ to use it.
If we want to be godly, then we must train ourselves (1 Timothy 4:7). In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul says, "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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified from the prize." And again, in Hebrews 12:1, he says, "and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us". He obviously thought there was a connection to be gained from the metaphor.
So, the following are observations I have made while pounding the pavement:
1) Growth and change require hard work. Our bodies are made to gloriously adapt and grow stronger when pushed to their limit. And conversely waste away with complacency. Remember the saying, "use it or lose it"? Our faith is much the same. As we exercise it, it grows stronger and we are able to handle more.
2) We put in the time, but it is ultimately God who causes our bodies to grow accordingly. It is his design. Just as Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory rests with the LORD".
3) Our training depends on what we want to accomplish. For instance, if I want to win sprints I train hard and fast, but if I want to run a marathon, then I train slower for longer, building endurance as well as speed. So it is with life. Make sure you are working hard at what you want to accomplish in the end.
4) You can't depend on feelings. Sometimes you have to get out that door and train even when you don't want to. And the joy comes afterward. This is a huge lesson for marriage. We may not always feel "in love" with our spouses, but we need to honor our commitment and in time we will feel the love again.
5) Running consists of different terrain. Sometimes it is uphill, sometimes down. Sometimes you run and sometimes you have to walk. Some are more enjoyable than others, but there is benefit in it all. So with life, circumstances vary, but we can learn to appreciate them all.
6) It is hard to be great at anything if you are spread too thin. Look at an elite athlete. They rarely do more than one sport and they spend an incredible amount of time on that one. They are extremely focused. Everything goes into this one goal. Maybe that is our problem as Christians, we want it all. Instead of being focused on Christ and his kingdom, we are trying to get all we can from this kingdom as well. As a consequence, we aren't that good to either.
Maybe the greatest lesson came one afternoon after a particularly grueling run. I made it through the run and all I had left was the cool down walk home. But I was so tired. I wanted to sit down and rest for a bit, but I knew that if I did I very well might not get back up! So, I kept on going. Willing my body to put one foot in front of the other. I made it home! And so it is with our Christian walk. At times we grow tired and weary, whether it be from burnout or hurt feelings. However, we must not give up meeting together. Even if it means we have to crawl through the doors for a while and drag ourselves to Biblestudy or to our prayer closet. Because if we give up, we may find our current spot not so bad and decide to stay there, giving up the glory to come. Perseverance is the key. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up". So keep going...don't give up!
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