I hate running. I have ever since, elementary school when Mrs. Hagelstein would send us to run around that stupid track. One year, we had PE right after lunch and I remeber being shocked that they would make us run after eating but they did.  You all know the story where I tripped after chasing a boy I liked. You probably all know that I didn’t really participate in Field Day because I wasn’t good and I preferred jump roping to playing chase.   It’s still true today. I just don’t like running. It makes you feel like you’re gonna die.  And that is not a fun feeling. 

Today, Brother Tim spoke about the helmet of salvation in Ephesians 6:17.  He said that there are past, present, and future aspects to salvation. The one that blew my mind was the present aspect- sanctification (becoming more and more holy after you’ve already accepted Christ).  Brother Tim used the race analogy.  Jesus is running it with us. We watched a video about a physically handicapped man who completed a marathon with the help of a very strong and compassionate friend. It was touching to watch this friend carry the handicapped man and place him in a stroller thing and watch him run with it. It was touching to watch the lame man be put into a boat as the friend was strapped into a harness to pull him along.   How much more amazing is God’s love for us that He would come down here to this Earth and DIE for us? Anyway, that’s a whole different entry.  My encouragement for you today is the future aspect of salvation- glorification- the finish line. Brother Tim said it would be ridiculous to try to get people to run a race with reckless abandon if it didn’t end.  Heaven is coming. You have a finish line. You have a goal. You have someone carrying you.  Get started, beloved. It’s time to get past our hate of “running” (loving, standing up for what’s right, giving time and money to God, following His will in a direction that’s different than what we want) and get into gear. We have a race to finish.