A couple of months ago I started running again. I started out just running a mile, but I kept adding more and more distance every week until I was able to run two miles and then three.
Do you think I ran every other day because it seemed more fun that sitting on the couch, eating Peanut M&M's, and watching Fixer Upper reruns?
Definitely not!
I ran because I was obsessed with the thought of my possible results, and that's what I stayed focused on.
I knew running would make me healthier and improve my cardiovascular fitness. I also pictured myself running a 5K and standing proudly after a race with a medal around my neck. It motivated me knowing I was fully capable of running a 5K, and on those mornings when I'd set out for my run, I wouldn't settle any distance less.
Running three miles is very tiring, and some days I felt miserable during my run. But I knew the pain that I was feeling in those moments were making me stronger. I knew if I just kept pushing through the pain of my burning legs and dry mouth, it would soon be over, and I would feel accomplished for finishing what I had set out to do thirty minutes previously. Every step I took was making me better, and it was bringing me closer to my goal.
If you haven't already guessed it, I am talking about endurance.
Why is endurance so hard for humans?
Is it possible that we have gotten so used to instantaneous results? Our lives revolve around machines and electronics that make things happen faster. So when we go through something that makes us uncomfortable or requires us to wait, we get impatient, frustrated, and sometimes too tired to keep going.
Do you ever wonder why God makes us wait?
I'll admit that I have wondered.
There have been times when God seemed to be absent in my situation, and I began to wonder if there was any point in continuing to go to Him with my problems. I would think, "Is He really there? Does He even care about me and what I'm going through? Why hasn't he intervened and resolved my problems yet?"
Maybe you have gotten caught up in the ever revolving and vicious cycle of struggling with the same fears, family issues, or financial and health problems. Or maybe you have found yourself disappointed after praying and fighting for an answer, some closure, or peace about a situation for months or even years, and you don't know how much more you can take? Maybe it seems like you've been waiting and waiting for God to make His appearance and instantaneously fix all of your problems.
If this is you, you're not alone.
And God does care.
I had a long hard battle with anxiety a couple of years ago. Over the course of a few months, my anxiety kept getting worse and worse, and I finally got to my breaking point. I didn't know if I could take it anymore.
Anxiety is no joke. It's real and it's scary. I never thought about suicide, but I was miserable. I honestly feel like Satan was trying to attack me and bring me to that point.
One night I went into my mom's bedroom and found her sitting on her bed, looking at her phone. I crawled up next to her and began telling her what I was struggling with. After we finished talking, she came across a sermon done by Kenny Swiger on Facebook. The sermon had been posted a few years back, so how we came across it that night, I don't know. But that sermon was meant for me to hear.
Brother Swiger was preaching about how God can break every chain in our lives and how He can make a way when there seems to be no way. He talked about perseverance and deliverance.
Mom and I had revival, sitting on her bed, watching that sermon.
And God saved me that night.
He gave me hope. He sat me free. And He let me know that He hadn't brought me this far for me to give into my dears and worries and live a life as a slave to anxiety.
Although I had prayed to God for help with my anxiety before that night, I believe He allowed me to go through that hard time so I could experience the wonderful feeling of peace and freedom. He wanted me to keep relying on Him and running towards Him during that time of depression and apprehension so I could testify about the beautiful feeling of deliverance that He let me experience. He wanted me to experience endurance so I would appreciate the rewarding feeling that comes when you win a race with Jesus.
God wants to set you free. You may not see how anything good can come from your situation, but God does have a plan for you. He wants you to keep on running. And however long it takes you to get to the finish line, He will be running along beside you until you get there. God always saves the best for last, so don't ever quit.
I want to leave you with the lyrics of the song that my mom and I sang as we sat in her bedroom on that night. It has been my theme song ever since...
Looking for answers, you need a way out.
You've been trapped in that trial full of sorrow and doubt.
You saw a trickle of sunlight, but you found no escape.
Just hold onto His promises. He said He'd make a way.
He'll make a way in the middle of nowhere.
When it seems no one really cares, He's there by your side.
He'll make a way when you feel Satan close in.
Don't give up, don't give in. He'll make a way right on time.
