Enjoy the Journey
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [Phil. 3:8]
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [Phil. 3:8]
To train for a big race you have to be willing to invest many hours and be ready to put in many miles. One shoe company ad says, “Because we know that 26.2 is the easy part!” That’s so true! To prepare for a marathon you spend 12-16 weeks running between 300-500 miles. That is more than 10 times the distance of the actual race. And inevitably there comes a point when you begin wondering if it’s worth it and then the little voices begin telling you to quit.
Every runner knows that race day makes it all worthwhile, but what do you do when race day is just too far away to provide any real motivation?
That’s when I decide to enjoy the journey! That’s when I choose to focus on the beauty of the scenery or on the fun of being outside and moving or simply on the joy of discipline. These are the fringe benefits that add another layer of payment to all the training. If I don’t enjoy the journey I’m sure to quit!
The same principle applies in Christianity. Sometimes in the course of running the Christian race we begin to wonder if it’s really worth it. It seems like we’re making big sacrifices to be in the race while others are just lying on the couch and we wonder if we should join them. The temptation to quit is great!
Every Christian knows that Heaven makes it all worthwhile, but what do you do when it just seems too far away to motivate?
That’s when you remember that there is SO much more to Christianity than looking forward to Heaven! That’s when you decide to focus on the fellowship and support of brethren, the joy of Christian living, the hope you have for both the present and future, and the many other fringe benefits of living for God. Paul said that he was willing to lose everything now to be with God later and even if that happened it would be worth it all! (Phil. 3:8) If we don’t enjoy the journey we’re sure to quit!
Stay in the race! Enjoy the journey! It’s worth it…now and later!
Gotta run!
