Confessions of a Runner
"I give up." This, I confess with an embarrassed heart, has been my life motto.
Back | Print Page | RSS | Tweet This | Share on Facebook
"I give up." This, I confess with an embarrassed heart, has been my life motto. From day one, I prepared myself in every relationship by keeping my running shoes close at hand. When things got hard, when relationships required work, I'd slip my shoes on and sprint my way out of the situation – never looking back. Friendships, churches, organizations, jobs, classes and others have sat stunned as the dust from my running shoes clouded my silhouette as I would dash full speed in the opposite direction. I am a runner, and I'm tired of running.
I want to be a person with the character God chooses to use. A person like Moses, who, after finding that running gets you nowhere (when he fled after killing the Egyptian), confronted Pharaoh again and again in obedience to God. He didn’t give up. He persisted even when Pharaoh’s face turned red with rage, and the enchanters mocked him.
I want to be like Joseph. He experienced disappointment after disappointment. He was sold by his brothers, accused of attempted rape, imprisoned and forgotten. He never gave up. He persisted in obedience as he waited on the Lord.
The character of persisting through all life's trials is the character God honors and uses. I want to be used by God. I want to live life to the fullest, stepping out in faith instead of running away in defeat. I want to allow God to develop my potential by allowing Him to deepen my faith. He does this in the midst of painful situations that cause me to want to run. If I keep running, I will never realize the fullness of what God wants to do in and through me. Running gets me nowhere. Running doesn't produce maturity.
Yes, at the beginning of each trial, running is easy. I don’t want to face the giant of my situation, and running brings immediate relief from a situation I don’t think I can handle. And there it is – I can’t handle it. But, with faith in God, He can handle it through me. So, in essence, when I run I forfeit the opportunity to grow in the faith God wants to instill in me. With each sprint, stagnant faith settles in.
So I ask myself, "Can I be satisfied with never reaching my full potential, with not experiencing the fullness of who God is?" If I keep running from every trial, every pain, I will not grow. I am determined to set my feet and my heart to running toward God and His will for me. I’m ready to run into the arms of my Savior.
Back | Print Page | RSS | Tweet This | Share on Facebook
- Valerie Dent, Have Mercy Girl! Ministries
