It has probably happened to all of us who are of a certain age (over 20) to go out for a weekend jogging, assuming we are in good health.
Jogging involves a certain number of prerequisites: first of all having a starting line and a finish line, then having good management of your physical and mental resources. All in order to certainly complete the race, but also to do it in a good time.
While we indulge in this activity, it is not uncommon to encounter people on a section of our journey, and often to motivate ourselves personally, we challenge ourselves in our hearts to catch up with them or not to let them overtake us and this without knowing anything about the distance they (the people) have already covered, nor the distance that remains to them, and even less their physical or mental resources. And very often at a crossroads our paths separate, or else we end up stopping running because we are physically exhausted from wanting to compare ourselves to “strangers”.
The life race
All of us humans, God has placed us on earth, with a precise destination for each one. The point where he will call us back to him. But very often we complain about our starting line, the conditions in which our life is called to begin: born with a physical handicap, born in the absence of a father, born of poor parents, born in a difficult environment (country at war, drunkard father, prostitute mother, ...) And we are so often inclined to point the accusing finger at The Creator, believing that he has led us to begin our existence on earth in more difficult conditions than those of others. We believe that we begin life disadvantaged compared to other people of our generation, our village, our family. And yet God has never called us to a competition against our fellow men because we are alone in the race in which He has placed us, the other runners that we encounter on the race are not participating in the same race as ours because we have neither the same starting point, nor the same arrival point, nor the same route. But God will judge each one according to his attitude throughout his own race.
A second thing that we so often forget in life is that, according to how God has defined our starting point and our arrival point, he has endowed us with sufficient abilities to accomplish our mission here on earth. These capacities can be intellectual, physical or mental; but also spiritual from our new birth; but it is then up to us to make good use of them. But how can we make the most of our various resources in order to accomplish our vocation here below?
The secret: the coach
Let's now imagine that we go jogging with our personal coach. A coach fully aware of our physical and mental resources, a coach fully aware of the discipline of jogging, a coach who was once a perfect athlete. Then how great will be our peace of mind and happiness. Because in fact, our coach accompanying us in the race, will be able to tell us when to run faster, when to catch our breath, and even reveal the appropriate route as we move forward. This coach will know how to talk to us to reassure us about our ability to go all the way and give us the strength to stand firm when tempted to stop and walk.
Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ by taking on a body of flesh like ours wanted to show us that He knows what we are going through, because He too has undergone the same trials; that is why He wants to help us emerge victorious (Hebrews 4:15). The good news is that He has already conquered for this.
The question is: "Will we accept the outstretched hand of Christ who wants to help us accomplish our mission here below? He who alone knows God's path for us, He who alone knows when it is appropriate for us to "go for it" and when it is better for us to "take our time". All without ever losing faith in Him and in God the Father, without ever stopping growing deeply in that faith"
Lord Jesus Christ, once again I reiterate to You the consecration of my life in its entirety. Forgive me for all those times, I pray, when I decided to follow my own path, looking for the easy way out or shortcuts. Forgive me for all those times when I decided to follow my own path, wanting to catch up with or overtake other runners in their race that did not concern me. Forgive me for all those times when I chose to deviate from my trajectory, wanting to take paths that would make other runners envious. Forgive me, my God, for all those times when, rather than making good use of the resources You had given me, I was rather inclined to compare myself to other runners, just wanting to be like them, and yet each of us had our own race: starting point, finishing point, route and time allocated.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant me to complete my race of grace to the full satisfaction of Your heart, not for an ephemeral glory in this world, but to glorify and spread Your Holy Name in this world. May my life, in all its emotional, professional and spiritual aspects, serve only one purpose, my Lord and my God: To glorify Your Holy Name, and that of the Eternal Father God Almighty!
Amen!!!
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