Some days it's hard to get up and run. I mean really hard.Like Monday. I'm still recovering from the time change and there was precipitation, almost enough to be classified as a drizzle. (I don't run in the rain.) But I have a race in two weeks. So I ran, and I made my race distance.
Then came Tuesday. The temperature dropped down into the thirties. The bed was warm. I was tired. I could take Tuesday as my day off instead of Wednesday… But I have a race in two weeks. So I got up and ran the race distance again, a little faster this time.
I guarantee you, if there was not a race coming up, I would have reset my alarm and gone back to sleep. The goal, the prize changes everything.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians, "Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
So I run with purpose in every step." (9:24-26a).
It's so easy to lose sight of that prize and focus on the immediate things around us. It doesn't seem to matter if they are comforts (like a warm bed) or challenges (It's raining and I'm tired), they are equally distracting. However, when we focus on the goal, the prize, the eternal prize, we are much more likely to keep running.
Do you lose sight of the goal sometimes? What helps you refocus?
This is way overdue, but I saved this in my inbox until I could comment on it. I couldn’t pass this one up. I think what helps me refocus the most is seeing other people achieve their goals. They work hard and overcome an obstacle, so that drives me to believe that I can, too. It helps me see that God is working in their lives, so He will no doubt work in mine. Excellent post!