RUN with the SON

I am a runner.  I belong to an group of like-minded people who constantly strive to be more than what the world tells us to be! Together … we are Born2Run!

I am a Christian.  I belong to an group of like-minded children of God who constantly strive to be more than what the world wants us to be!  Together … we are the Body of Christ!

I believe that I’ve always been a runner at heart. Maybe it was just my rushed nature, maar iewers diep binne het die verlange na vryheid gele.  Closing my eyes, I felt my legs gliding effortlessly through every step.  My heart pumping adrenalin with each breath of fresh morning air.  The cool breeze touching my skin, gently brushing through my hair.  En die reuk van klam grond tussen die bome …. mmmm, freedom.

Waking up from my dream, I realised that running was nothing  like that especially when running for the first time.  Running is hard, running is tiring, and yes …. it makes you sweat, a lot!  Furthermore, as a runner you are more injury prone, especially injury to your knees.  Research have found that generally, runners struck the ground with eight times their body weight equalling approximately three times more than the impact of the walker.  U kan self die somme maak.

Through the tiredness, sweat and pain, the flesh was crying out to stop, my spirit wanted more….

In the midst of this physical and spiritual reality shock, I realised that running is not so much different to being a disciple of Jesus.  You see there are a number of valuable constants joining all areas of life.

#1: PRAYER

I went running with a friend a few months ago.  She hadn’t been doing much exercise and felt quite anxious about her return to the fit-club.  Ek was baie opgewonde oor die geleentheid want dit is nie aldag dat ek iemand het wat saam met my teen my pas oefen nie.    Before we started I said:  come, let us pray.  We ran a few kilometres and when finished, she turned to me and said this:  I was going to give you my doctor’s number in case something happened … but then you prayed and I knew it wasn’t necessary.  Voor enigiets moet ons bid, gedurende ons wedloop moet ons bid, na ons wedloop moet ons bid.

1 Thessalonians 5:17  pray without ceasing, (ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:17  Bid sonder ophou. (AOV)

Prayer is not non-stop talking, it is to always remain in an attitude of God-consciousness and God-surrender.  Elke oomblik moet geleef word in ‘n bewustheid dat God met ons is en aktief betrokke is in ons gedagtes and in our actions.

#2:  GEAR

Vir my heel eerste wedloop het ek soos ‘n professionele atleet gelyk, at least I thought so.  I wore a beautiful pink cotton t-shirt, cotton shorts en Mr Price gladde sool tekkies.  The ideal recipe for a disaster on a humid and wet East London January morning.  Nie net was ek so pienk soos my t-hemp nie, maar ek het ‘n beenspier seergemaak toe ek op die nat teer gegely het met my “nie gemaak vir hardloop nie “ tekkies.  I did not have the right equipment. It was during this time that I came to know about Climacool running shirts and shorts and “outstep / instep and natural stride running shoes”. 

2 Timothy 3:16  Die hele Skrif is deur God ingegee en is nuttig tot lering, tot weerlegging, tot teregwysing, tot onderwysing in die geregtigheid, 17  sodat die mens van God volkome kan wees, vir elke goeie werk volkome toegerus. (AOV)

  

2 Timothy 3:16  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, 17  so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

Die hele Bybel is God se geinspireerde Woord.  Because it is inspired and trustworthy we should read it and apply it to our lives.  The bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true.  It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source and guidance for how we should live.  It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved.  Jy moet gereelde tyd in God se Woord spandeer, en nie net om jou kennis te vermeerder nie, but we should study the Bible so that we will know how to do Christ’s work in the world.  Ons kennis van die Bybel is nie van hulp as dit nie ons geloof versterk en ons lei tot goeie werke nie.

#3:  FUEL

As a runner your energy requirements are high – you can typically burn about 100 calories for every 1,5km you run.  To make sure that you meet your running energy requirements, it is important to eat the correct fuel, eat it at the correct time and balance it with the other foods in your diet.

I have come to learn that good carbs a few days before a race acts like dynamite in my veins.  Low GI brown bread with a good dose of peanut butter works for me, while some athletes prefer pasta.  Keeping and staying hydrated during a race is as important.  Water and small amounts of coke are provided at various water points, coupled with some motivational insights from the non-runners manning these stations. 

John 6:35  En Jesus sê vir hulle: Ek is die brood van die lewe; wie na My toe kom, sal nooit honger kry nie; en wie in My glo, sal nooit dors kry nie.

John 6:35  "I am the bread of life," Jesus told them. "Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty.

Ons eet brood om ons fisiese honger te stil en om lewe te onderhou.  We can satisfy our spiritual hunger and sustain spiritual life only by a right relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life.  Brood moet geeet word om lewe te onderhou, en Christus moet in ons daaglikse lewe ingenooi word om ons spirituele lewe te onderhou.

Joh 4:14  maar elkeen wat drink van die water wat Ek hom sal gee, sal in ewigheid nooit dors kry nie, maar die water wat Ek hom sal gee, sal in hom word ‘n fontein van water wat opspring tot in die ewige lewe.

John 4:14  but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life."

Jesus is the living water and the bread of life, the dynamite for our souls.

#4:  TRAINING

Although I believed that I was a runner at heart, running didn’t come naturally to the physical body.  I got injured very quickly in my “running career” and had to seek medical advice to assist with the injury.  My doctor, a retired runner himself, let me run up and down his surgery and concluded that I have the worst feet for running and should consider walking as a sport.    Hoogs verontwaardig en uiters hardkoppig is ek daar uit met die besluit dat ek sal hardloop!

I started training 3 to 4 times a week.  It was gruelling.  I would run 500 m and be dead tired, walk another 200 m and try again.  I pushed hard, I prayed hard, I almost gave in to the doctors’ recommendation, but I persevered.  I wanted to do this; I wanted to be the very best I could be. 

I entered every race I could find, measuring my physical strength from one 10k race to another.  Continuously aiming for that new PB! 

All this time I only had Justin to encourage me, giving me little bits of advice here and there and although I tried it and it worked, I realised I wanted more.  I needed someone to take me to the next level. So I employed the services of a coach.

Vanuit die staanspoor het sy my gemotiveer.  She told me that I had a natural stride – contradictory to my doctor’s opinion.  She gave advice and pushed me to endure and persevere. Through her help I have improved my time per km drastically.  I realised once more, running takes discipline, and discipline leads to fruit.

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (ESV)

Hebrews 12:1  Daarom dan, terwyl ons so ‘n groot wolk van getuies rondom ons het, laat ons ook elke las aflê en die sonde wat ons so maklik omring, en met volharding die wedloop loop wat voor ons lê,

The Christian life involves hard work.  it requires us to give up whatever endagers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit.  To live effectively we must keep our eyes on Jesus,.

Deur deel te wees van die Liggaam van Jesus, Sy kerk het ons toegang tot al die hulpmiddele wat benodig word om ons kennis en geloof te oefen en te versterk. 

Romans 10:17  Die geloof is dus uit die gehoor, en die gehoor is deur die woord van God.

Romans 10:17  So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

God communicates His thoughts through the spoken word, preaching, teaching and prophecy, provided it lines up with the Bible.  When we hear what is being said, and knows it lines up with the Word then the Holy Spirit enables us to respond by believing.

In ons kerk het ons toegang tot die God se weeklikse boodskap wat deur die prediker gebring word.  Ons het toegang tot weeklikse interaktiewe bybelstudie, wat ons kennis van die Woord dramaties kan verbeter. In our church community we are blessed with different Holy Spirit gifts working together for God’s Kingdom.

#5:  FELLOWSHIP

Justin and I decided to join a running club.  Dit is hier waar ons met eensgesinde individue kommunikeer en waardevolle kennis opdoen.  We’re given the opportunity to volunteer and take part at events, and to share in the joy and sucesses and sometimes pain of our fellow runners.    This serves as an encouragement to us, the thought of knowing, you’re never alone.

Hebrews 10:25  Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

Hebrews 10:25  en laat ons ons onderlinge byeenkoms nie versuim soos sommige die gewoonte het nie, maar laat ons mekaar vermaan, en dit des te meer namate julle die dag sien nader kom.

To give up Christian meetings is to give up the encouragement and help of other Christians.  We gather together to share our faith and to strengthen one another in the Lord.  Difficulties should never be excuses missing church services.  Rather, as difficulties arise, we should make an even greater effort to meet together.

  

#6:  REWARD

1  Corinthians 9:24  Weet julle nie dat die wat op die baan hardloop, wel almal hardloop, maar dat een die prys ontvang nie? Hardloop só dat julle dit sekerlik kan behaal.

1 Corinthians 9:24  Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize.

Om ‘n wedloop te wen verg doel en discipline.  Paul uses this illustration to explain that the Christian life takes hard work, self-denial and gruelling preparation.  As Christene, hardloop ons na ons hemelse beloning toe, die ewige lewe.

In conclusion:

The essential disciplines of prayer, biblestudy, worship, fellowship and hearing the Word being ministered, equip us to run with stamina.  Moenie slegs kyk vanuit die paviljoene nie, don’t just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning.  Train diligently – jou spirituele vooruitgang hang daarvan af.

Nobody can finish your race for you; you need to run with perseverance; endurance and most importantly with Christ at your centre, to reach the finish line.