Women's Corner

March 23, 2005

Run With Patience

In the Springtime, my thoughts often go to the subject of Track and Field. Do you remember those high school days when the weather finally warmed and PE classes could be held outside again instead of in the gym? Basketball season was over, and it was time to get out in the fresh air!!

Oh, the many and varied events to get involved with in the Track and Field Program. There were the short distance dashes, the longer distance races (which for some of us really seemed more like dashes, too, even way back then! What were those tremendous high school track times for what we at that time called the 440?!) There were events like the hurdles, long jump, high jump, etc. I had friends that did the shot put and the discus throw, and that always amazed me. The races, however, were always the exciting part for me.

Racing is compared to our lives by Paul in several of his letters, particularly in Hebrews 12:1, when he tells us to “run with patience the race that is set before you”. Patience in that verse means-patient continuance, and endurance. That is what the sport of long distance running is all about. You do not just go out on the track and start running around and expect to win any races. Our Christian life, like running races, takes training and strategy. We can not just expect to be saved and carry on in the world without knowing or getting to know anything more about the Savior in whom we have just put our trust. The enemy would eat us alive!

Are you familiar with the movie Seabiscuit? ( I know I am a couple years behind the times in the movies, but bear with me- I live out in the sticks!) A businessman takes a rejected, injured, seemingly no good bargain of a horse and turns him into a winner, with the help of a wise old trainer and a young jockey. In order to be able to run effectively, the horse had to go through training with a knowledgeable and compassionate group of people. They worked gently, yet firmly and confidently with it. They let the horse have its own personality, and still molded it to perform in certain ways in the races. That it what the Track and Field program is all about, too. The coaches take raw talent (and sometimes really raw, and not so much talent) and molds it into competent racers. That is what God does with our lives when He gets us. He takes whatever we bring with us to Him, and molds and shapes us into competent runners in this race of life. Then, He teaches us to run with patience. He teaches us to capitalize on our strengths. He shows us that He is there for us, that we can trust in His plan for us. He assures us that His ways really are the best. He brings out hidden talents that we did not even know were in there, so we can use them for Him. He inspires in us a worth that we could never get in the world. He tells us we are victorious already, and if we just run this race under His instructions, with that patient endurance, and reach for that goal of the finish line, the Prize is ours.

I remember when I first started to train for the middle distance runs. When the gun sounded the start, I gave it my all. Very quickly, however, my “all” ran out, and I had not even finished the first lap around the quarter mile track! I had not trained enough, and definitely did not have a strategy for running with endurance. Those things do come, however, with time and consistent coaching. Long distance runners learn to pace themselves, maintaining their stride, pace, and presence to the lead runner, yet still saving their “kick” for the final meters of the race.

Similarly, if we stay under the continual coaching of God through His Word and the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, we also learn how to run this race of life in the best way, with patient continuance. All of the personal strategy and personal training in the world will not do much good unless we also know our competition. In the Seabiscuit film, the trainer always gave some final pointers to the jockey in the locker room before each race. He would point out who would pose the toughest competition to his horse and rider, and in what ways. His “Watch out for this…” and “Be aware of that…” talks were to educate the jockey on what obstacles he would probably encounter to running the race in a winning way.

On the track field, everyone knows the best times and abilities of the field of runners, and who is likely to give the most competition and when. (That’s what scouting is for!) In our Christian lives, we need to know our competition, also. We need to be aware of and, resultantly, ready for those things that will compete for our attention and affections. The enemy of our souls wants us OUT OF THE RACE! He wants us sidelined! If we are honest with ourselves and God, the lover of our souls, He can reveal those areas where we can be easily tripped up. In running the distance races, I soon learned exactly where my “wall” was. On the basketball court, I learned where my weaknesses were, and in life, we can know (by listening to the Lord) some of the areas that our enemy will use first in trying to sideline us. In those training sessions and those moments with the trainer (the Holy Spirit) we can be ready for those attacks. We can be aware of being blind-sided and remember to cling closer to the Lord when the opportunity for the weakness that most causes us to stumble occurs.

We can commit to memory the Scriptures and the Lord’s promises to use in combating the doubts and questions, the “walls” that will be put in our way to cause us to stumble. Of course, we can never be totally prepared for every attack or surprise, but every good athlete ultimately has his ear trained on the voice of his/her coach. In times of uncertainty or surprise attack, the voice of the coach can be heard urging on and instructing.