Running with Purpose

Running with Purpose

Running with purpose

Do you know why you are you and why you are living on this earth? It is hard to live without meaning and purpose. But only when we are made right with God, we find what is the purpose of our lives.

Rick Warren writes “Bringing enjoyment to God, living for his pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. When you fully understand this truth, you will never again have a problem with feeling insignificant. It proves your worth. If you are that important to God, and he considers you valuable enough to keep with him for eternity, what greater significance could you have?”

If your hope is Jesus, it’s time to stop dragging your feet and sitting around on your hands. Because we have places to go and things to do! God’s Spirit is helping us out and beckoning us to love and serve God with everything we’ve got.

So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! (Hebrews 12:12-13, MSG)

It’s not just about us running with purpose, it’s also about helping others along the way.

Together we are stronger.
Together we can make it.
Together we can fight the good fight.

I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. (1 Cor. 9:26-27, MSG)

Running with purpose means we live with the end in mind. We are on our way to heaven. In order to make it to the finish line we need to be intentional about staying alert and in top condition. What could this mean for faith life?

Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. (1 Timothy 4:7-10, MSG)

We are meant to intentionally take care of our spiritual well-being. It includes spiritual strength-training and exercising daily in God. It means taking seriously this journey of faith. That’s what running with purpose means.

What kind of spiritual strength-training exercises could we do? I have a list of 10 things here. (What would you add?)

1)    Prayer & silence/solitude
2)    Listening to God & spiritual journaling
3)    Private & corporate worship
4)    Bible-reading & studying
5)    Obeying God’s commands
6)    Loving (God, ourselves & our neighbors)
7)    Stepping out in faith when urged to do something
8)    Fasting (of TV or something else poisonous in your life)
9)    Service of others
10)  Fellowship of believers

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for inviting us to come closer to you and
blessing us with meaning and purpose.
Show us how to stay alert and in top condition.
Empower us for living with then in mind and
running with purpose.
Enable us to help as many people along the way as possible.
Guide us home to you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U
: Are you running with purpose? What are your best strength-training exercises?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you are running with purpose!

Image courtesy of Joshua Einwechter. Linking up today with Unite the Bloggersphere and #tellhisstory.

5 thoughts on “Running with Purpose

  1. Amen! As one who loves to run, we need to purposely push ourselves some days to just get the shoes on but once I am running I don’t want to stop. The list you share, steps to get us running and stay running, is great. I think the idea of fasting the poisonous is huge. In real life, when you are running towards a goal you have to feed youd body the fuel to get to finish line…. it’s not much different in the spiritual either.. we need to feed our spirits with His Word and time with Him to make it to the goal and keep running strong! Great reminder!
    Blessings,
    Dawn

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