Never Stop Running!

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim 4:7

As an adult, I always enjoyed working out to stay in shape. My father was my example and   encouragement. When he was 68 and I was 30, he  had a heart attack.

When I was young, I remember running around the parade field at Edgewood Arnsel Army Base in Maryland with my dad. However, when he retired from the army, he put on 75 pounds and stopped exercising.

After the heart attack, he lost 50 pounds and went to the YMCA five days a week and swam laps for an hour. He did that till he was 90 years old. He put in the hard work to stay in shape and healthy till he died    at the age of 95.

Physical exercise is essential for a healthy, productive life. However, you must not neglect your spiritual health to run and finish the race well. Just as we need to discipline our bodies by eating healthy and exercising, we must also be disciplined regarding our sanctification.

Let me share with you three ways to discipline your spiritual life.

First, pray. We are commanded to pray. The    Bible lists at least nine main types of prayer: prayer       of faith (James 5:15), prayer of agreement  (Acts 2:42), prayer of supplication (Philippians 4:6), prayer of thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2-3), prayer of worship (Acts 13:2-3), prayer of consecration (Matthew 26:39), prayer of intercession (1 Timothy 2:1),        prayer of imprecation (Psalms 69), and praying in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).

Second, hate sin in your life. Lay aside every weight that holds you back. Hebrews 12:1 states,  laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us. If you want to run well, flee sin, and         when you do sin, repent and seek God’s forgiveness.           Third, run the race set before you. Again, in       Hebrews 12:1, we read, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Every believer is called to love God and His people and to serve each other.       However, each believer has a particular race that God has set       before them. Just as every snowflake is unique, every believer’s race is different. We can’t run anyone else’s race; we can’t run the race we wish we were running. We can only run the race that God has placed us to run. We each have a different race. My     race is different from yours; your race will be entirely different than someone else’s. We each have our         particular race that God has personally called us to      run.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       May the Lord bless you as you seek to run your race well. Remember, you will trip and fall along this race.    We run for the Lord, but know and take comfort that   the Lord will see you complete the race you are  running.

He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will   I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark