By Alison Feinauer
I know…regular? What’s that about? Yes, exactly what you think…
Well, this past weekend I was getting ready to run a half marathon with 5 other friends, and we were staying in an Airbnb in Nashville, TN. Being girls who are pretty open, we talk about this stuff. Part of the strategy around running a race is planning when and if you’ll have to stop and use the port-o-pot. No one wants to do that. So you try to time your bathroom break before your run, or at least hope to.
I started pondering this – call me weird, but I think God uses pretty much everything in our lives to point us to Him and I invite Him to. I thought about what happens when we go. We rid our body of all the useless stuff we don’t need, mostly toxins and waste. If our body doesn’t do this regularly, then we could be in hot trouble or even die.
I thought about this and how I have toxic, useless, and even deadly stuff enter my mind on a daily basis: some from others, some by accident, some on purpose, some by sight, some from lies, some from thoughts that aren’t pure or pleasing to the Lord, and some from words that stumble out without thought. And if I don’t take time each day to clear my head, get rid of the junk, repent for believing the lies, and confessing my sin, then it builds up and can even kill me – spiritually and emotionally.
When I choose to compare my body with others, look at the world’s standards of beauty, and keep believing that I’m not enough until I reach “perfection,” then I will be stuck, sitting in the Pit during the Race that He’s called us to run with everything we’ve got.
So it has to be an intentional practice that I plan each day to clear my mind and get rid of the toxins. I need a strategy, a plan. I have to be in training. I can do this by ingesting the Word (Truth), being with the Holy Spirit (Living Water), Praying (repenting and blessing), and Worshiping (giving God the glory He deserves).
If I’m not careful and am not intentional with my life, I will die a slow spiritual death, get numb and complacent and maybe give up on healing. And I might NOT even know it’s happening.
So, I ask you one question? Are you regular? Are you spending time with the One who can cleanse us from the inside out and who died for us? Do it. Prioritize it. And I guarantee, you will run this race. It will be the best part of your day, and He will say well done good and faithful servant.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12: 1-3).
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23).
