#9 Should I Run a Marathon?

Should I run a marathon?  Would I be a better aunt if I had a marathon under my belt? 

Wrong question. 

Would I be a better daughter of the Lord if I aim to run a marathon? 

Wrong question. 

Who would benefit from me deciding to do this?

Still wrong.

Could I add to the kingdom of God through running?

Wrong wrong wrong.

Is the Lord already moving forward in this marathon idea and can I join Him?

Ahhh now we’re talking.

Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”  John 15:19

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  Ephesians 5:1

Jesus is God, so we are called to imitate Him.  He said that He does only what He sees His Father doing.  So we should do only what we see Him doing as well.

Do I see the Lord running a marathon?  Not literally--I don’t even see Jesus exercising for sport in the Bible. 

• · I see the Lord saying that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), so I need to keep my mind and my heart and my body clean and healthy for Him. 
• · I see Him saying that we should honor our parents (Eph. 6:1-3). 
• · I see the Lord saying that we should encourage one another and spur one another on (1 Thess. 5:11)
• · I see how Jesus spent so much time praying to the Lord in lonely places (Luke 5:16).

For me, I need to do a better job of keeping my body healthy.  My sweet Momma, your Grammy, has been steadily preaching to me the value of exercising for about 5 years.  One of my close friends from college will be coming to my city to run this marathon 6 months from now.  Running it with her would be a totally unique way to reconnect with her and spur each other on.  I’ve always found that I’m the most focused to pray when I’m running.  All the training time is a perfect ‘lonely place’ for me to spend with the Lord.

In this way, I see the Lord working in the idea already, and from as far as I can tell, it would please Him to do it.  So let’s do it!

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.  Philippians 2:13

When I’m doing what pleases God, then I know I’m getting the desire and the power from Him to act.  God’s power is limitless, so that means whatever I am doing to please Him is also limitless in potential.  So I CAN do all things through Him who strengthens me!

What an incredible life we have when we please the Lord!