Why I Love Running

I'll never be great. But I've come to love running. I can think of three reasons for this.

First is the satisfaction of seeing progress, of engaging in the same exercises and discovering they are easier than they used to be, and that I can do more than I could before. The second is reaching goals toward my own highest potential. I'll never be the fastest, but I want to work toward my fastest, my best, and it's exciting to make strides toward that end. The third is some moments during runs where everything aligns. There are plenty of moments during running where you're weary, and others of discomfort and pain. But sometimes, the training has paid off, the air is just right, the surroundings are pleasant, and then your heart is flying even while your feet are turning one stride after another. Ecstasy.

Running has become a helpful metaphor to me for life with God. Seeing progress in your faith through the grind and discomfort is uplifting. Sometimes you realize you've gone through a bigger trial than one in the past which caused you greater distress. But the muscles of trust in God have become more accustomed to turning to Him to receive, and the new difficulty is more bearable. 

Character-wise, reaching your own potential in Christ is the goal--it doesn't matter how you compare with anyone else; only whether you are becoming who God made you to be. When through the steady pursuit of God you become more satisfied in Him, more devoted to fellow-believers, and more caring for neighbors, you are fulfilling the potential God gave to you. These things in your life reflect a glory to God that is unique from anyone else.

Finally, there are moments along the often wearying, often uncomfortable, and sometimes painful path of life, where everything aligns. Christ is always at your side, and there is joy there. But in the steady race of obedience you sometimes get a sense of His beauty and presence that is so intense that it must be described as ecstasy. 

Someday I'll reach the point where every moment is absolute satisfaction, because I'll cross the final finish line. Christ is the goal and prize of the true race. The promises and the foretastes of that future are what make the challenges of running in the present fully worth it.