“Running with Focus”

Linda and I want to wish you a safe and Happy Labor Day! We’re so glad you join us every week.

For us, this Labor Day will be spent in Colorado, as you can imagine, since we just moved here. I’ve been sharing with you things I’ve observed since we arrived. One of the amazing things I notice is how many people are running. Running on trails, running in gyms, running around tracks, running up and down mountains, running in boots, running pushing high-tech baby strollers, running with packs on, and even running with their dogs (although quite frankly– the dogs don’t look quite as enthused!) Running…running…running!

While I’m not a runner, I find it very interesting that all these runners have one thing in common. Can you guess what it is? No, its not the latest Nike shoes, REI weatherproof jogging shorts, or camelback hydration system. Do you give up?

None of the runners I observed were looking behind them, but instead focused on the next forward step, the next mile, or the next signpost. That may seem like a simple thing, but it has everything to do with living Your Refreshed Life. The Apostle Paul probably was not a jogger, but he sure wrote some terrific tips for athletes and the one most appropriate for runners is in Philippians 3:13-14,

“Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the heavenly prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

These runners all struggle with the same problems you and I face—work issues, health concerns, financial troubles, or relational issues—but they manage to focus on the task at hand. That’s such a good life lesson we can all apply. Otherwise, it’s so easy to get stuck in what happened yesterday and miss what God plans for us today. We can’t change the past, but we can monitor our thoughts and focus on a better tomorrow. We can choose to focus on how we can help others who are in situations we’ve already survived.

To live Your Refreshed Life, you need to assume the posture and persistence of the runner who faces forward and keeps pushing down the trail. God places us all on different paths with different destinations, detours, and distractions. And while our circumstances may be different than others, we can all keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the “author and perfector of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)

So dear Your Refreshed Life friends, we’re not sure where you are in your race. If you’re in an uphill climb facing cancer, job instability, or loss of a relationship, let us encourage you to keep pressing on. And we’d love to pray for you, encourage you, or be a safe, listening ear. Just reach out to us.

Or maybe you’ve conquered the tough climb and have momentum and a fresh breeze behind you. If that’s the case, who do you know who could use your support and encouragement? Who do you know at work, church, or in the neighborhood who might be open to a cheerful word, offer to help, or invitation to lunch?

It all comes down to focus. We’re all running the race God set before us. We can focus on our own race only or be open and willing to help others succeed in theirs. And this is the reason we publish Your Refreshed Life—to inspire, encourage, and help you in your race as we run God’s race for each of us, together!

AUGUST 30, 2022COMMENT