I worked at camp this summer and because of that I was able to meet a lot of interesting guys. One of them in particular was on the odd side – he actually enjoyed running. He not only enjoyed to run, but he would push himself to see how far he could go and how fast he could do it. Most guys came to camp to socialize, sleep, play the games, but he was satisfied with going out and running every day.
Since it was evident that this was something that he liked, it gave me something to talk to him about. One of my first questions was why he enjoyed it so much. I really was not prepared for what he was going to say and the application it carried. You see, after explaining how he started and some of the races he ran, he explained to me that he loved running so much because it was not a skill or a talent that some were blessed with and some were not, but it was a matter of discipline and endurance.
Step back and think about that. We are called to “run our race” as Christians. And, exactly like running for sport, the Christian race is not a skill or talent that some have been given but a matter of discipline. We cannot look around at all the “spiritual giants” and think that they have some special gift from God that enables them to live their life, but that if they are truly “spiritual” it is a result of personal discipline and endurance.
I have no idea if this is coming across in the manner that it first hit me, but it had a deep impact. Just one of the many things I walked away from camp with…
