Run… Unhindered
Saturday morning, as I strapped on my gear for the St. Jude Half Marathon in the hotel I had to make sure I had everything. I had the usual: tennis shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, headphones, and a hat. But I wasn’t real sure this year what the weather was going to do so I decided to pack a backpack to carry with me as I ran. I had a rain jacket and rain pants because I didn’t really want to get soaked. I packed a thicker hoodie because weather was dropping. In the case that it got too cold I went ahead and packed some sweat pants into the backpack. Then I got to thinking, “What if I get lost out there and end up stranded on the streets of Memphis for a night or two.” So I went ahead and packed enough food for a few days and shoved them to the bottom of the bag.
I’ll need heat and a way to cook so I packed a portable stove and a couple of propane containers. I’ll need water so into the bag went three bottles of water. “What if it does start raining? If I get soaked before I can get the rain jacket on I’ll need an extra change of clothes!” So a couple of changes of clothes topped off a pretty heavy bag. I learned there was construction in the area of the run so I wanted to be proactive about safety so I invested in a OSHA safety helmet. That got me to thinking, “What if I’m stranded for a long time?” I thought to myself and need a way to support myself if I can’t get home. So I went ahead and brought some construction tools along with me.
By the time I got to the lobby of the hotel I could feel the weight of my backpack bearing down on my shoulders. The clothes, the tools, the food, the water, the propane tanks…they were all a little too much to worry with for a short 13 mile run. I soon realized I could not finish—or finish well—a race where I was so burdened with thoughts of “what if’s” and “what has beens.” So I decided to stick with the shorts, lightweight shirt, socks, shoes, hat, and headphones. The race wasn’t easy with those things but it certainly was better than running with a load of unnecessary burdens.
Yet, you and I carry a lot of unnecessary burdens around with us every day. We carry memories of the past where things didn’t go so well along with concerns for the future that may never come to pass. Frustration. Regrets. Guilt. Sin. Doubt. And yet, there is God’s word speaking to us these simple words: “…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1b).
And the recipe for what it takes to do that was the same as the way I had to approach the St Jude run. I didn’t need to be overly prepared for every situation—I had faith that the people I was surrounded with would not only encourage me, but that they would support and supply me with what I needed (Hebrews 12:1a). I also kept my eyes on the goal. Someone had gone long before the race began and marked off the route. The signs and the people lining the roads kept me going in the right direction. As Christians we “do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2) and he has already finished the whole thing.
So today, we can run unhindered. Throw off the bag full of frustrations, regrets, guilt, sin, and doubt. Those things only weigh you down. Instead, allow the people around you to encourage and support you, and look to Jesus and the finish line as the goal. It may still be difficult but you will find it is much more tolerable than it was with all those burdens in tow.
Ben