Running Together

Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.

-Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NKJV

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I just started running with a running group.  I am totally a beginner, making progress, but still have a long way to go to reach my goals. Yesterday, I ran a mile and a half without stopping for the first time.

Intrinsic motivation for this particular goal does not come naturally to me.  Sometimes I will try to get my children to run with me. Occasionally my son will, but not all the time. If he does run with me, I usually will go farther.

I have also tried running with my daughter.  As we ran, she got distracted by the playground, and wanted to detour.  But I wanted to keep running on the path we were on.

I do much better running with my group.  If I have someone beside me, I will usually keep moving and push myself.  But if I run alone, I will often stop.

Recently I started thinking about how this all related to my walk with Jesus.  When I rededicated my life to the Lord, I didn't have many friends who were Christians, so often when faced with the choice of running for the Lord, or running with other people's ideas, I chose the latter.  As a result, I got myself in some messes.

The group I run with one day a week always runs the same path as me.  We have goals, and cheer each other on.  I don't quit when I am with them because they help keep me motivated to keep going. As a result, I am now doing more than I could just a couple of months ago.  And my intrinsic motivation is increasing.

As Christians, it is important that we run our race with a community of Believers.  We have to find other like-minded Christians to run with. They must be on the same path, with the same ideas, and not easily distracted from the path we need to run.

At the beginning of my walk with the Lord, my intrinsic motivation was not there like it is now.  I needed that community of Believers to cheer me on.  I quit several times because it was just me.  Now, I have more of a relationship with God, and I can run by myself for a while, but I know I will go further with other Christians cheering me on.

There is a struggle sometimes for new believers, and I get it.  I remember what it was like.  But it gets easier. You just need to choose wisely those you run with.  God has a plan for you, and He wants you to finish your race.