Our life is like a long distance run or race and we’re all participating in it.
Over the years, I’ve competed in distance races from between 400 yards and 50 miles. In the 50 mile event, I ran along the American River in California for most of the way. The first 30 miles or so were on an asphalt path. It was smooth and very, very gradual in it’s steepness. We were running up the river so there was a slight grade when we were on the path. Eventually, the route made its way off the asphalt and onto a dirt path. This narrow path was often rocky, crossed over many small spots of water and was uneven – very unlike the smooth asphalt. One could have easily stumbled and fallen. The race of our life is so much longer than than the longest ultra-marathon run. And it’s like the uneven path that I described above. There are many opportunities to become tripped up as we live in this world day to day.
Jesus and Your Faith
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that the best way to run this race of life is by keeping our eyes on Jesus. Jesus is the person on whom our faith depends from the very start of our race until the end. Our race on earth will end only when we die or when Jesus comes to take us away in the rapture, whichever comes first. It is only by keeping focused on him that we have any chance of living the kind of life that God calls each of us to live. Jesus tells us that he came into the world so that all people could have an abundant and full life. (John 10:10) Paul somewhat describes what a full life looks like when he lists the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. These “fruits” become evident when the Spirit of Jesus is manifested in our lives.
As we regularly reflect on what Jesus did on the cross so that our sins can be forgiven – which makes it possible for us to have a relationship with God – we are encouraged and don’t get as weary in our race. We also need to stay close to or abide in Jesus so that we can draw strength from him and so that his Spirit is reflected in our life. (John 15:5) I have identified this as an essential Spiritual Exercise for a healthier life.
Each step you take, every conversation you have, each glance you take – all of your actions and behaviors – is a part of your race here on earth. You can only run and finish your race well if you keep your eyes on Jesus.
Questions to Reflect On
How frequently are you reading the Bible as a way to keep connected with Jesus?
How evident are the fruits of the spirit in your life?
Are you regularly being “tripped” up by the same sin? If so, what will you do to get back on a ‘smoother path’ in the race of your life?
“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.” Psalm 107:19-20
We are all instructed to be a minister to others by loving and serving them. (1 Corinthians 10:24 and Mark 12:30-31) Paul gives us, and Timothy, instructions about how we are to equip ourselves to serve others in the fourth chapter of First Timothy. (1 Timothy 4:1-16)
Ministry Through Service
The Greek for the verb form of the word minister is diakoneo meaning to serve or to help. Ministry can occur in numerous ways. It can be accomplished by practical ministry or by spiritual ministry in the church, community, small group or in a one-on-one setting. It could mean serving by giving practical support or finances, or by teaching others biblical truths.
Paul tells us in verse six that it is important for a minister to be instructed in the truths of his/her faith. As ministers, we must know what scripture says about the basics of the Christian faith – the Gospel. We must be able to distinguish between biblical truths and “old wives tales.” And it’s only through the study of scripture that we can distinguish God’s truth as compared to what the “world” wants us to believe is true. Only then can we be effective teachers of others.
Spiritual Fitness
This chapter of Timothy also tells us that godliness, or ‘spiritual exercise,’ as it reads in the first edition of the New Living Translation, promises a reward in this life and the next. God wants us to live out our faith daily. We do this by incorporating spiritual disciplines and practices, as taught in scripture, into our life.
One critical principle or practice is to transform your mind (Romans 12:2) by understanding the fullness of the Gospel message and by adopting the Gospel, and associated scriptures and principles, as a mindset. When you do this, it will radically change your outlook on life and influence your personal behavior and lifestyle. This in turn will affect how well you are able to minister to others.
Yes, we must train, or exercise, ourselves to be godly. As an athlete disciplines himself to run and win a race, we must be rigorous and apply self-discipline in studying scripture and applying what we learn to our lives. We must practice our faith personally. The more we believe in the truths of the Bible and incorporate them into our life, the more whole we can become in spirit, mind and body. This in turn will better enable us to minister to others through practical service and teaching.
Questions to Reflect On
Are you effectively ministering to others? If so, how? If not, why not?
How spiritually fit are you?
What spiritual exercises – principles, beliefs or practices of the Christian faith – require attention in your own life?
Resources on Spiritual Exercises & Spiritual Fitness
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The keynote speaker will be Christina M. Puchalski, MD, MS, FACP, founder and executive director of George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health. Discounted registration is available through September 7th.
See the link above for more information and to register.
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4
About a year ago I was asked a very thought provoking question by my oldest son. His question was something like this – “What is the single belief you have that has the greatest impact on how you live your life?”
That is a tough question and I had never been asked that or pondered my beliefs in such a way. How would you answer this question? Think about that for a bit before you continue reading. Really now….. pause and think on this for a minute or two.
Okay. Would your response be something like one of the following? God loves me. I am a child of God. Because I treat others like I want to be treated, I am treated well. I trust God no matter what happens in my life.
Drew, my son, shared his answer to this question with me and for the last year, I have adopted it as my answer.
The Bible is Truth
That is how I answer the question now. The single belief that I have that most impacts on how I live my life is that the Bible is truth. This belief has profound impact on my life in many, many ways.
Because I believe that the Bile is truth I desire to know what it says so I read it almost daily. I study it. I think about it, or meditate on what it says, throughout the day when I can. Because I understand that what I think about strongly affects my speaking and behavior, I write out and speak affirmations that are based on scripture….. and send them out over Twitter for others to receive. (See the right sidebar on my blog)
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The truths that I read in the Bible give me hope, strength and wisdom for daily living. Knowing that God inspired men to write the books of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17) helps me know that the Bible contains God’s guidelines on how he wants me to live my life. It teaches me how to handle the stressful circumstances that life throws at me. It teaches me how to be in relationships with other people, including my wife, my children and my parents and siblings. The Bible gives me principles for taking care of my emotional and physical health.
The Bible also reveals to me how to have a full and abundant life here on this earth and how I can be assured of living eternally – forever and ever – after I die here. (John 3:16 and John 10:10)
Because I believe - I know – that the Bible is truth, I have a deep, deep peace, joy and love in my heart and this motivates me to share what I believe… what I know… with others.
Questions to Reflect On
What is the single belief that you have that most impacts on how you live your life?
Are you being true to that belief? Are you “living it out?”
Are you sharing this belief with others? If so, what impact is it having on their lives?
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
POWERPOINT FOR PURCHASE
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Running and Life
We are all instructed to be a minister to others by loving and serving them. (1 Corinthians 10:24 and Mark 12:30-31) Paul gives us, and Timothy, instructions about how we are to equip ourselves to serve others in the fourth chapter of First Timothy. (1 Timothy 4:1-16)
Shenandoah University and Valley Health are sponsors of a one-day conference titled 
Beliefs and Your Life
