There are, it seems to me, many distractions in life. This isn’t a statement seeking sympathy, nor is a resignation to its reality. It’s simply just true. It’s true in my life, and it’s true in your life. But, distractions don’t have to define our lives. That is to say, distractions are not the distraction…you are…I am.
Priorities.
When we take God’s Word serious, when we value Christ’s Church as much as He values it, and when we surrender our lives (our relationships, our children, our wife, our money, our success, our _____) everything changes. What I mean to say is, our view of things change. God honors His Word. God died for His Church. God lifts the humble.
Lurching.
What I didn’t know in college that I know now is that life is a battle full of wins and losses. It’s hard…for no other reason than it’s hard. There are turns and twists that I never could have imagined I would face and endure, but I have and it’s life. There are decisions others have made, and there are decisions that I have made that have led to the struggles (even to this day). There are also ambiguous and arbitrary circumstances I’ve faced that had consequences outside of my control. All can be challenging. All can be wonderful. And both are acceptable. Taking God’s Word seriously, valuing God’s Church, and surrendering our life doesn’t make life easy. It makes life make sense. It gives us purpose, and it moves us forward with a mission…God’s mission.
Life’s Resistance.
When I was a younger Christian and faced hardship (that wasn’t a mere distraction), I often wondered if it was God speaking to me to leave this or to stop that. It often was relating to a commitment or something that I just was tired of doing, and I was just looking for a way out. Staying power was something I had to learn over time. The same temptation, as we all know, can apply to marriage, at work, or in friendships. What I didn’t seem to understand then that I accept now is that life is full of resistance, and that resistance makes me stronger, more loving, more caring, more empathetic, more pastoral, more gentle, more aware, more fair, and more resolved.
Return the Favor.
When I was young and playing football, I hated to run long distance. I didn’t mind sprinting, working out, and the like, but long distance was an anathema. This was the case until I had a friend in college ask me if I wanted to run a marathon with him. I had never heard of a marathon at that point. I asked how long is it? He said 26.2 miles. I said, “I’m in.” Why? Because football was over for me and I needed something to aim for in that season of life. I knocked out the marathon, and kept looking for more. I signed up for a sprint triathlon. From the beginning, the race was a disaster. Hyperventilation, near panic, and ultimately gutting it out in survival mode was what got me across that first triathlon finish line. I nearly quit all races, until I heard of the Ironman. I knew then that I was going to finish that race one day…a race that includes 2.4 miles of open water swimming, 112 miles of bike riding, and a 26.2 mile run to finish it off. Ten years after finishing my first triathlon, I finished the Ironman. In the face of life’s ups and downs, I pressed on. I leaned in. I returned life’s resistance with resistance–physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Climb (run) the Mountain(s).
Fast forward. I’m a father of three, husband to Jennifer, and while I don’t run triathlons as much anymore, I still look for challenges to tackle. Why? Because life is full of challenges…distractions, and I learn many things about life when I participate in these events. While the Ironman is in my past, running mountains are not. This past September, I ran the Mountain Marmot race in Durango, CO. I wasn’t trying to win, but I was trying to execute my race to the best of my ability. The race could be broken down into three elements: (1) the grueling 7.2 mile uphill gaining 2,000 ft., (2) the 3 mile or so open road downhill, and (3) the 2 miles of mountain trail downhills. Each had their own challenges, and each presented me with the opportunity to give up or press on. I pressed on. The race was executed to near perfection, and the pay off? Well, the picture above answers that question!
Application ?‘s
- What difficulties are you facing in life that unless God comes through things won’t change?
- What of what God values do you value with your time, talent, and treasure?
- What distractions are you allowing into your life that need to be eliminated?
- What challenges are you accepting…that unless God accomplishes them they won’t happen?
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14
— October 23, 2020