The Dangers of Running

One of the Apostle Paul’s go to illustrations in his writings was to compare the Christian to an athlete.  To people alive in Paul’s day, especially in the Roman Empire, athletics were a very important and large part of everyday life.  It was something that Paul’s audience could relate to.  In fact, many historians attribute part of Rome’s collapse to their addiction to sports entertainment.  I’ll just let that sit there for a moment.   

In his writings to Timothy, Paul talked about running his race, in his writings to the church at Ephesus, Paul talked about wrestling.  In our text tonight, Paul again refers to running-- 

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We all have a race to run.  There are a couple of prerequisites to running this race we call the Christian life: first, set aside ever weight.  This weight could refer to worry, anxiety, stress, depression, discouragement, etc. Set those things aside.  Second, set aside the sin that besets us.  We all have sin that troubles us more than others.  I’ve never been tempted to experiment with illegal drugs, but on the other hand, gluttony is a problem for me.  Especially when someone brings out the Little Debbie Snack Cakes. 

I’ve begun training for a 10K in October.  I’ve ran this race before, and I’m looking forward to running it again.  Early in the morning, you may see me out running the streets of our fair city.  I was reminded on one of these runs, that there are some dangers to running. 

Let’s look at a couple of them.  

If You Run, you may trip and fall.  Tuesday morning, at 4:30, I was out running.  I was running a street that I have ran hundreds of times before, in fact, I ran that street just a few days prior to Tuesday morning.

I was in the zone.  My first mile was almost done, I was feeling good, my pace was right where I wanted it, my breathing was on point, I was in a spirit of prayer. 

Then it happened.

Someone had left their trashcan on the sidewalk from the previous day.  It was casting a shadow onto the sidewalk and I didn’t see that there was a section of the sidewalk that had sunk a bit.  The edge of the sidewalk reached up and grabbed my big toe.  I found myself launching through the air.  Gravity soon took control and I found myself slamming onto the sidewalk. 

It took my breath away.  I felt the pain of road rash on my knee and shin.  I fell because I was running.  It’s a danger, a risk, that I accept.  As a Christian, there’s a danger that you might fall.

Revelation 2:5 “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

When we fall, and we will fall, we need to remember from whence we fell.  It may shake us up.  It may take our spiritual breath away, it may knock the wind out of our sails, but we need to get back up. 

I’ve fallen while running before.  It was a cold, wintry Saturday morning.  There was some snow on the ground, but not too bad.  I was training for a half marathon that spring.  I was supposed to run 10 miles that day, but about two and a half miles in, I found a patch of ice that was hidden under the snow. 

I landed full on my left knee and it started swelling immediately.  I decided that I was going to get up and go.  I could not stay on the ground.  I had to get up, so I did.  I took a few halting steps, putting just a little bit of weight on my left leg, testing the knee.  The old male ego kicked in and I decided that I was not calling my wife to come get me.  So, I started hobbling my way back home.  I’d run a bit, and then walk a whole lot and run a bit more.  Eventually, I got home.   

Tuesday morning, as I was flying through the air, I thought of that day.    And I knew what I was going to do.  I hit the ground, jumped up, checked for blood, and took off running again.  You got to get up.  I was not going to lay there like the star of some infomercial (Help!  I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!) 

In our Christian lives, when we fall, we’ve got to get up!  Galatians 6 talks about when our brother falls and how we should help him up, because it could be us next time!

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

We need to help our brothers up, because one day, we may be the one on the ground!

The second danger in running is the dangers of dogs.  I don’t care how many times a dog owner assures me that their dog is friendly, that their dog won’t bite me.  If I’m running and I come across a dog, I’m wary of it—hey don’t judge me, it’s Biblical!

Philippians 3:1-2 “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.”

Amen!  There is a reason I support the leash law in Franklin!  I was out running with a friend several years ago.  We were going through a neighborhood when a large dog began to chase us.  Devin and I looked at each other and increased our speed.  Devin said, “I hope we can outrun that dog.”  I told Devin “I don’t have to outrun the dog, because I can outrun you.” 

I’ve been chased, I’ve been nipped at, I’ve felt dog saliva on my calf muscle, so I’m a bit cautious when it comes to dogs.  In our Christian life that we are running, we need to beware of dogs as well. Notice what Paul is talking about—dogs-evil workers, those who cut up (the concision)

Mt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

We need to be aware of those fake Christians who will lead us astray.  Those who will nip at us, bark and growl at us, and try to chase us of the course that we have been given to run.  Let me tell you something I’ve learned, “Good doggie” doesn’t work.  You’ve got to be stern, “No!  bad dog!  go home!”  That dog isn’t going to listen to you if you try to placate it.  See what the scripture says will happen if we try to placate those false prophets:

Second Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The apostle was concerned that if the church at Corinth was not stern with those preaching a false gospel, then they would accept the teacher and his teachings. 

The third danger of running is the Danger of Exhaustion.  If you run, you’re going to get tired.  That’s a simple fact. Sometimes when I run, I get tired, my legs start to give out, my feet start to complain.  I don’t have to convince my legs and feet to keep going, I’ve got to convince my mind to keep going.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

There’s nothing like crossing the finish line at a race and receiving your finisher’s medal.  At that moment, your fatigue and exhaustion evaporate. 

You may be weary tonight, you may be doing right, but you’re tired.  Someone asked me one time, how can your 13.1 miles?  I jokingly replied, “Mind over matter.”  I keep putting one foot in front of the other because in my mind, my legs don’t matter.

By the time I get to the end of my training plan for the 10K coming up, I’ll be tired of training, but I need the training just like we as Christians need the Lord to correct us from time to time.  Sometimes we get weary of the Lord dealing with us.

Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

Be grateful for the correction of the Lord.  That means He loves you! You don’t discipline someone else’s children, do you?  Look at this verse from Revelation:   

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Don’t grow weary of being corrected by the Lord.  Get right!  Correct the issues that God is chastising you over and repent!

Then of course, there is the Danger of Blisters.  Sometimes those shoes will rub your feet the wrong way.   Sometimes you’ll develop a blister.  Your skin will get irritated because of chaffing.  When I fell Tuesday, I got road rash.  It hurts and itches.  In this Christian life, we’re going to get irritated with the world—or, at least we should get irritated by the wickedness of this world: 

Second Peter 2:7-8 “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)

Lot was vexed.  He was irritated by the wickedness around him.  It was chafing him in an uncomfortable way.   Just as you and I can get irritated with the wickedness around us.  It doesn't matter if you get irritated, what's important is how you respond to the irritation  

Once, I got a blister and after a while, it popped.  I didn’t fix the issue that was causing the irritation, and a callous started to develop. 

Too many times, we Christians will get irritated at the world and grow calloused to their needs.   Jude reminds us to have compassion:

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

There are dangers in running, but I don’t let the dangers of running keep me from running.  We must run this race set before us. Are you running?  Or have the dangers of running knocked you out of the race?  If so, let me tell you what to do.  Get up and start running again.