In our training and running we've all had days when it was the last thing we wanted to do. We didn't go to bed early enough the night before, we were sore from yesterday's workout, life reared its ugly head, the kids had soccer practice, etc., etc. Whatever the reason, we've all been there.
As I pointed out in my last post, maintaining a base can be the perfect cure. It gives you a purpose, "I've got to make sure I get in X miles!", it helps us maintain our conditioning when we either can not or are not in training for a specific event, and it gives us the launching pad from which to initiate a training regimen.
Life is much the same. It might be to broad a statement, but I'd be willing to bet that we have all had days when we didn't want to face the world, get out of bed, and/or deal with the challenges the day had in store. We've all been kicked when we were already down, dealt an unfair blow, and burdened with a load that we were sure was the largest in the history of the world and impossible for us to carry.
When those times come, it is our life's "base miles" upon which we are forced to lean. This "base" must allow us to maintain, sustain, and retrain.
To provide maintenance, our "base" must be solid and constant. It can not waiver or falter. It can not be weakened or altered by time. To provide sustenance, it must meet our needs, it has to be something upon which we can rely entirely. Finally, to retrain, it must provide the basis for continued strengthening and growth. When the pains and injuries pass, this "base" must provide a launching pad for the training that will help us overcome the next challenge.
Now, back to my earlier questions. After typing the question a few days ago, I pondered what might be some possible responses. While there may be more, there were three, apart from the one I want to present, that stood out to me; Physical Strength/Appearance, Intellect, and Religion.
If you are reading this blog, you likely have at least some passing interest in athletic conditioning. You may even have reached a very high level of fitness or degree of personal appearance and it is on these accomplishments upon which you rest, knowing full well that you can conquer life's challenges by either physically overcoming them, outlasting them, or by burying them beneath strenuous workouts and long runs. If this was your answer, let me ask you "What would you do if that physical ability and appearance were stripped away?" Would life still be worth living? With what would you justify your existence and purpose?
Psalm 31:10 (New International Version)
10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
Another possible answer to my question is "Intellect". Perhaps you are proud of the knowledge you've attained, you might even have this as your fall back "base" in the event that your physical attributes fail, but do you really have all the answers? Can you explain away everything that happens with a scientific principal or assign it to fate or luck? Perhaps to date you've been able to, but when that question comes, the one that exceeds your wisdom and defies your logic, what then? If you can not wrap life up into a nice neat package of cause and effect, point and counterpoint, what then?
Proverbs 3:5 (New International Version)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
The third answer in my list is "Religion". Whoa! Wait a second James. Didn't the heading of this blog say you were a Christian? How are you going to attack religion?. Simple. I am a Christian because of who I place my hope, my salvation, and my faith in, not because I follow a specific doctrine, set of rules, or complete the necessary religious rituals. With that out of the way, let me, since it is my blog, continue.
Religious practices have been a source of comfort and strength since the beginning of time, but do they provide maintenance, sustenance, and finally the basis for growth? Let me offer my opinion. Are they maintainable? Remember, I stated that to provide maintenance your "base" had to be solid and constant. So, if your "base" is based upon a specific religion, ask yourself, "Have my religion's rituals changed over time?" "Does my religion have a core belief upon which everything else is based, or is it subject to interpretation?" Pick at it a little bit, figure out for yourself, "Is my religion constant and unchanging?"
Sustenance. Quick question here. "Does my religion ("base")sustain me, or is it incumbent upon me to sustain it?" If you can't participate in the necessary rituals and ceremonies, are you still guaranteed a spot in the afterlife? When you are down and out, what aspect of your practices and ceremonies give you comfort? Will they or do they work in every circumstance? What if you are unable to perform them or utter them?
Retrain. Does your "base" provide an opportunity to grow and to become stronger? In what ways do you improve as you progress in your knowledge? Does that growth benefit others, or simply yourself, and as you improve, what purpose does this growth serve?
Religious practices have been a source of comfort and strength since the beginning of time, but do they provide maintenance, sustenance, and finally the basis for growth? Let me offer my opinion. Are they maintainable? Remember, I stated that to provide maintenance your "base" had to be solid and constant. So, if your "base" is based upon a specific religion, ask yourself, "Have my religion's rituals changed over time?" "Does my religion have a core belief upon which everything else is based, or is it subject to interpretation?" Pick at it a little bit, figure out for yourself, "Is my religion constant and unchanging?"
Sustenance. Quick question here. "Does my religion ("base")sustain me, or is it incumbent upon me to sustain it?" If you can't participate in the necessary rituals and ceremonies, are you still guaranteed a spot in the afterlife? When you are down and out, what aspect of your practices and ceremonies give you comfort? Will they or do they work in every circumstance? What if you are unable to perform them or utter them?
Retrain. Does your "base" provide an opportunity to grow and to become stronger? In what ways do you improve as you progress in your knowledge? Does that growth benefit others, or simply yourself, and as you improve, what purpose does this growth serve?
Mark 7:6-8 (New International Version)
6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
Now that we've covered these three possible answers, let me tell you what my answer is. The "base" of my life is Jesus Christ. Why? Because when the stuff hits the fan, he can and does, maintain me, sustain me, and retrains me.
His love and the knowledge that he sacrificed his life for me means that when I face struggles and challenges I have a firm foundation upon which to rest. His love has never changed. It has remained constant throughout the ages. His message has never changed. To find salvation through Christ today is the same as when he walked the earth. Believe in him. Believe that he is the Son of God, and that he came and, despite being faultless, was crucified and died as atonement for the sins of the world. The message and the gift have not changed in 2000 years. This is summed up well in the song that states, "God's love never changes, His love never fails. When the world is shaken, I can put my faith in knowing that His love will never fail."
Psalm 100:5 (New International Version)
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Sustains5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
The knowledge that Christ loves me and died for me gives me the strength and confidence to face each new challenge. When my intellect and my physical strength falter and fail, it is and will be this love that sustains me. There are too many things in this life that I don't and never will be able to make sense of, but knowing that God has a purpose and plan for each of us makes living on my worst days tolerable and on my best days exciting.
Psalm 3:5 (New International Version)
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
Retrains
With Christ as my life's "base" I'm always ready to tackle the next challenge. Better yet, He serves as my coach and motivator. He serves not only as the launching pad for the best you can be, but also the way and the means by which to accomplish great things. He is always pushing, prodding, and even at times giving me a good swift kick in the rear to motivate me to improve. Believing in Christ means that you are never content with where you're at and who you are. By this I mean that you will be constantly drawn to be like Him, to be a more compassionate person, a better parent, a more devoted spouse, a more caring friend, and on and on. I won't lie to you. There will be hills to run, pain to endure, and times you'll question whether or not you can go on, but when you finish the particular event He was preparing you for, it's all worth it and you'll know that you are better and stronger than before.
1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (New International Version)
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
So think about it some more. What or who is your base? The choice is yours, but please, choose wisely!
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