X
Sign up for my FREE email series - "Intro to the Faith & Health Link"
Learn More Here

Faith and Health Connection

  • Home
  • About
  • Faith & Health
  • Scriptures
  • Church Health
  • Services
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Health Coaching
  • Bible Study – Self Paced

Running With Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2 Weekly Faith and Health Devotional

August 19, 2010 By Dale Fletcher 2 Comments

keep your eyes on Jesus in the race of your lifeRunning and Life

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?

Share with your friends . . . . . .Buffer this page
Buffer
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest

Filed Under: spiritual exercises, Weekly Health Devotional Tagged With: faith, Fruit of the Spirit, Jesus, Life, running

FREE Email Series

Want to understand the link between spirituality and your health?

VISIT THIS PAGE to learn about my FREE email series.

---

Receive My New Blog Posts in Your Inbox

Comments

  1. Keith B. says

    May 22, 2016 at 2:05 PM

    At any point during the ultra, did you feel that your faith in Christ helped you get past the pain and suffering which most runners experience? Further I am curious if you were able to keep your heart rate in range during the ultra due to a near meditative state associated with the power of prayer.

    Reply
  2. Krista Moody says

    August 24, 2010 at 4:38 PM

    Yes, we need to keep our eyes focused on the Lord in this life race. Wonderful message!

    Reply

Join the Conversation Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

connect with us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Translate to A Different Language

Learn & Grow

WorkshopBible StudyIntro Series

Get Blog Post Updates

Receive My New Blog Posts in Your Inbox
Loading

Blog Post Topics

affirmations behavior change Bible and Health Easter eternal life Exercise faith Faith and Health fitness food forgiveness Freedom God Healing Health health care heart Holy Spirit hope Jesus joy Life love mind body spirit obedience obesity peace power prayer relationships running scripture sin spiritual exercises spirituality and health strength stress The Bible the research thinking trust Twitter weight loss wellness wholeness

NEWSLETTER

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the article: "Understanding the Connection Between Spirituality and Health"

PathWay 2 Wholeness

Health-Bible-Study

This life transforming program 'connects the dots' between biblical principles and whole-person health.

About the Ministry

  • Mission, Vision, Beliefs
  • Statement of Faith
  • Dale Fletcher, Executive Director
  • Services
  • Newsletter Options

Become a Christian Life Coach

Life-Coach-training

Become a certified life coach. Read all about Christian Life Coach training at Christian Coach Institute.

Introduction to Faith & Health

Learn how faith and health are linked. Sign up for a FREE series of emails.

Join our online community

Network, share ideas & receive encouragement.

tweets of encouragement

  • Do you have a deep wound in your heart that is influencing your behaviors that impact negatively on your physical h… https://t.co/2D1e2fRAJr
  • https://t.co/rOTrr2khew
@faithandhealth

Copyright © 2023 - Faith and Health Connection