How does running glorify God?
If we are as Christians supposed to live to glorify God, and I think we are, how does running and spending time training for a half marathon bring God glory? There must be a way to run that doesn’t glorify God. It’s probably the easier way, it doesn’t take thought or effort to not run for the glory of God. At least for me, it takes thought to see how I run can be something that glorifies God. This may seem like a strange question to a non-Christian, it must sound mad, but I guess as a Christian that’s what I am supposed to do. I should be thinking differently about life because I am different. Maybe this is apart of what it mean to be a peculiar people. Running is not just running. People are complicated so I guess I would say that for all people at the most basic level, running is not just running. We all have motivation so I can run for myself or I can run for God. Some would say that is why you should run for a cause, like cancer research or orphanages in Africa; those are good things, and I think give meaning to something as hedonistic as running. But I think that although running for a cause is good and adds to the depth of people’s motivations, it still misses the mark.
Running reminds me of the passages in the New Testament where Paul uses the image of an athlete to encourage us on in our walk as a believer. Running takes effort. So does the journey of a Christian. Running is hard work and walking according to God’s ways is not easy. Running requires endurance and perseverance, as does the Christians walk. This scratches the surface of how running reminds, encourage, and challenges the Christian in their walk with the Lord.
As I run I feel the pain of the strain on my muscles. It made me think of how my body is not perfect. It’s not perfect because of the fall. I am wasting away. My body is not naturally able to run mile upon mile. I have to work hard to run any short length let alone 13.1 miles. This makes me realize that I am not God. If God were to run, he would be able to run forever without hurting or getting tired. How does remembering my humanity bring glory to God? God is glorified when I realize that I am not God because I then realize that He is God.
The frailty of my body also makes me remember that I am not going to live on this world forever. Even though I can run and get in shape my body will always be going downhill. So I will be reminded each time that run that I am destined for a new home.
I also thought the other day about how my body is created by God to work. I decide in my mind that I want to run and start putting my legs one in front of the other and I want to go faster so my mind sends a signal to my brain to speed up. Obviously this is a very simple explanation of what goes on, but it just shows that God created me and sustains me. The complicated way that my body works when I run is a testament to the power of God.
Thinking on these things helps me love God and glorify him more. Running can be done to the glory of God.
1 comment:
So I'm glad you said all of that, because I feel the same way. When I run I think of the cross and how Jesus must have suffered. I know He went through more pain than me when I'm running. I think wow if He can endure that, then I definitely can endure just running. It pales in comparison, being tortured by people you love to your muscles and lungs burning. Hmmm. I think I'll take the latter:) Thank you for your insight!! Praise be to the God our Father for all things, painful or not!
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