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…and why you should be!
My girlfriend’s recent graduate was sitting shotgun as they drove through for free celebration donuts. Her always skinny husband was sitting in the backseat of the car appearing ready to handle any excess in the donut realm, and I said as much. I had to laugh as my friend replied, “He can’t eat them much, either. Funny how as we get older our bodies boss us around.”
Spending so much money on athletic shoes pushes itself higher on my priority list every year and always under duress, but my feet are cranky and picky and getting older. It’s certain I have a work to do as my body bosses me around and tries to rid me of any veto power I currently possess.
Are you running?
I’m not a runner. I’m barely a walker but I do enjoy walking. I feel frustrated when I don’t see results on the scale and tend to punish myself by stopping short even though I know it’s good for me, and it feels good to me. Mom used to say I have a habit of cutting off my nose to spite my face; I suppose this would fall under that category. I’m trying! I want to enjoy life and I can’t wait until it’s too late. So, I’ve got my running shoes on. God talks a bit about running through His Word, too.
Enjoying Life is God’s Desire for Believers
Solomon, the wisest man to live, walks through how vain and futile life’s work and toil are, and how it’s difficult to make much sense out of these times no matter how rich or wise we are. Start reading in Ecclesiastes chapter 1 and really listen to what he shares of life’s worth. I felt like we were sitting together today, and I was nodding my head and saying how much I agree with him. When I came to the verse that says a fool and a wise man both die the same, it wrapped up my thoughts, life is hard, sometimes God doesn’t give us all the details in and through life’s toil (our labor of life, or work: hardships thereof), and riches and wisdom are not deterrents to death. Are we here to work ourselves to death hating every moment? God forbid, but what? Heavy stuff. I’m glad I didn’t, and God didn’t, stop there. So let’s keep going.
Wisdom and Riches are no respecters of death
Then I saw these verses and I paused, re-read, searched more and let God lead my thoughts and my heart. Listen to what Solomon concludes:
Ecc 2:23-26a 24A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness…
Enjoy Life
I mean, here the wisest man alive is penning through God’s spirit the answer to a laborious life: find enjoyment in life, the rest if futile. Verse 26 says the person who pleases God receives wisdom, knowledge and happiness. Could we say then, our life’s work isn’t that which we pull a paycheck from, nor that which we run around accomplishing from each rising of the sun, but rather it’s pleasing God. I’d like to think the work God gives us to do matters, not because we have to toil through it, but because it comes from Him. In fact, Solomon agrees:
Enjoying Life is God’s Gift to us
Ecc 3:12-13 12I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
I want to live a happy life, do you? I am not talking about name it, claim it mantra, that’s bunk. I’m talking about God’s Word right here: “Find satisfaction in their toil-this is the gift of God.”
About those Running Shoes
Are you realizing God’s satisfaction and enjoyment in your own life, or do you feel like you’re overtaken in the toil of today? There’s hope; you don’t have to stay there!
Run for Protection
Who doesn’t want to enjoy life and find happiness? If you’re my sister in Christ, He is yours and His gift of enjoying life belongs to you. How do you get to Him when you’re swamped over in fear, emotion, or dismay? You run.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous RUN to it and are safe.
As imperfect Christians, we spend too much time running AWAY from God: distractions come in every way you can think of and when we’re caught in the mix, we run, we try to do things ourselves, we avoid doing things ourselves, we run…but we’re not running to our strong tower. Don’t trip over the untied laces, or maybe you’ve got to go without shoes altogether, and that’s ok–but RUN, Sister. RUN to the Lord, Run to Him for Protection.
Run with a Plan
When we are safe, we’ll do anything. I love, love, love to be at the beach. I’ll stay there all day, any day…as long as I’m safe. Strong Florida sun light will burn up my skin in no time; give me a hat, an umbrella or some safe sunblock and I’m good. Show me lightning striking from the clouds, and I’m running back to my car. I have a plan both for safety and for purpose to enjoy my time.
I Cor 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Run with a Purpose
God tells us to run with a plan to receive His prize imperishable. It’s worth the race, Friends! (And, even the runner that I am not realizes running a marathon is riddled with pain and sacrifices.)
Run with Promise
One thing I can say for sure, if I was out there trying to get my walk going with out the promise of returning home and finding rest, I couldn’t make it past going out the door. I know, even in just walking, I will get tired and need the the promise of an end in sight, or I would surely quit.
Isaiah 40:29-31 29He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Toil is no deal breaker for God’s happiness in our life!
In life’s hard work, and we won’t always have God’s answers to why we go through what we do, but I want to realize and live God’s gift of enjoying the life He gives me, even when I’m laboring or suffering (toil) through.
Run to God, my friends. Let HIM wrap you up in safety, and when you’re ready to get back out there and run, run with the plan, purpose and promise He has for you. There’s one life here on earth we’re given to live.
Please God and be happy!
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I (Jesus) came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
