Lessons On The Run–Part 2 of 5 September 30, 2008
Posted by stevensc in Decision Making, Growth, Personal.Tags: bench marks, body, celebrate, emotions, goals, mind, plan, reflect, running
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Continuing on my posts from yesterday (Post #1)… Using an old runners trick of picking out a spot on the road within view, I would mentally say to myself, “Just to that tree…” or “Just to that curve…”. It allowed me to push myself farther than my body wanted to go.
You need to realize that if you have plans to achieve great things, on the journey your body, mind, or emotions may try to quit on you. You’ll have parts just screaming, “I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE!!!” If that’s you, understand that its natural. But either your body, mind, and emotions are going to control you, or you will control them!
Setting small bench marks help you to achieve big goals. You’ll be able to go farther than your body or mind want to go when you set smaller goals that will help you get to the BIG goal. So here are a few things to consider:
- Is this a goal that God would be pleased with? If he’s not in it, you’ll just be banging your head against a brick wall.
- How does He want you to get there from here? Sometimes God’s path for you is not the most obvious one. In order to be a good King, David had to learn to sheperd his sheep well. In order to save the world, Jesus had to die on a cross. In order to see the true messiah and lead innumerable people to Christ, Paul had to be made blind for a season. Sometimes, the path is not always easy. But if the goal has come from God, and you are in agreement with it, you’ll be willing to go through anything!
- After planning your work, its time to work your plan! Follow it out. Stay in prayer. Always be listening in case God is speaking.
- Celebrate your victories before you move on to the next goal. Success can be a hungry monster. It’s ok to take time to enjoy the success you’ve experienced before moving onto the next mission. Solomon says that “Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works” (Ecc.3:22).
This leads us into tomorrow’s lesson. Be sure to check back for some more insight from Lessons on the Run!
Lessons On The Run–Part 1 of 5 September 29, 2008
Posted by stevensc in Decision Making, Growth, Personal.Tags: courage, discipline, dreams, fatigue, goals, persevere, running
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Last Saturday I woke up early, put the finishing touches on my sermon, and went to the Lake for a run before Marilyn and the kids woke up. This week I’ll be sharing some lessons I learned by going on that run.
I’ve kind of been on a health kick lately. I’m hoping to discipline myself enough that working out will become part of my morning routine. Being a former athlete in High School and College, I know that I’m not in the same shape as I was before but I want to remedy that. So I threw on some shorts, a sweatshirt, and tightened up the laces on my shoes and headed out to the overlook at Patoka Lake. It was a beautiful, cool morning and I was feeling pretty good at starting towards physical fitness.
The first half of the run felt pretty good. There was a little pressure to breathe harder, but it wasn’t until the second half that I really began to feel the fatigue. It was in the second half that I had to really examine what was driving me. Was it worth the pain and discomfort? That’s when I learned Lesson #1 of Lessons on the Run:
Excitement and big dreams can cause you to get out of bed each morning. But discipline and determination, a true belief in the worthiness of the cause towards your efforts, will keep you from running back to bed once the glamor of that perfect dream begins to fade.
The second half of your journey is when pain begins to surface. It’s when fatigue sets in and it becomes difficult to take another step. Dreams seem flawless, perfect, even easy when your in the “dream stage”. But when you have to start moving towards that dream, its then that you’ll face opposition. Will you then choose to continue or give up? If the cause is worthy of your efforts, you’ll find the strength to push ahead. If not, you’ll choose to start staying in bed.
So what situation do you need to be praying for endurance in today? God is faithful to equip you.
“Behold, we count them happy [blessed] which endure. Ye have heard of the patience [perseverance] of Job, and have seen the end of [intended by] the Lord is very pitiful [compassionate], and of tender mercy.” –James 5:11
