Push or Pull?
- womnofworth
- Dec 19, 2021
- 3 min read
Recently my husband signed us up to run a race: a 5K for me and 10K for him. This is not his first rodeo so he’s already at an Intermediate level whereas for myself, I am a beginner. Though I do enjoy running and cardio (on the treadmill, that is), I never cared for participating in marathons or physically-fatiguing challenges yet here I am, two months prior to my 5K, training for it at the local gym we attend regularly.
As I was training, I felt my body physically starting to adapt to the pain and the fatigue, helping me to become stronger, faster, and improving my overall stamina. I pushed through each mile continuously to hit that 3.1-mile mark. I was in awe at how moldable our frame is and how God created the human body to adapt and adjust through whatever physical and mental demands we must endure.
This experience has also challenged me to reflect on how I practice my faith. During the training period, I compared it to the times when all is good in my life and I have no complaints. I feel as if I am in good standing with God: I do my daily prayers, readings, devotionals, quiet time, and life is good. But I often fall short when the unexpected happens, equivalent to race day where you are expected to put all the training into action. In other words, it was due time to activate my faith and recite the scriptures I have meditated upon as I sought guidance and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. It was time to put my trust in God and find the strength to push through the difficult time I was going through. But that’s often easier said than done. So, the question I asked myself here is,
“Do I push through or pull out? Give up and slow my pace down? I am fatiguing and letting weakness overcome my body.”
This thought really convicted me and made me realize how I tend to go through this roller coaster pattern in my faith. My performance day when it comes to activating my faith is not as good as my performance when training and prepping; I am easily overcome by external and internal factors.
Isaiah 40:31 states “but 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.”
On the day of my 5K run, I was able to perform much better than I anticipated. There were moments where I wanted to give up and walk the remaining distance out but the competitor in me wanted to keep going and push myself to reach that finish line. Once I reached the end of the race, I had to sit down and take a moment to sit in awe of the extent I pushed my body to get to the finish line. And just like that, when it comes to the race of pursuing Christ, it is my prayer for myself and other women of God that a in season of despair and sorrow we can expand our faith and push through by leaning on to Christ and not pull out and give up allowing weakness and emotions overcome, pulling us away from Christ.
Love,
A Woman of Worth
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