Saturday, April 22, 2006

What happened?

I last ran on St. Patrick's Day, and hadn't run since, until yesterday. What happened?? I think I see some patterns.
  1. I stopped running because I no longer had a visible goal. When I was training for the 5k run, the goal before me was clear.
  2. I stopped running because no one was holding my feet to the fire. I work better when clearly held accountable.
  3. I stopped running because (even though I'm an introvert) I run better when there is someone along with me.
  4. I stopped running because other things (mostly work) stole the best of my time and energy.

Learning:
What happens in the 'Spiritual Race'?
A Visible Goal: Do most of us have clear and visible goals for our Christian race? or do we just hope to move along, and wherever we end up is OK? What doesn't work for physical running should be any more workable for Spiritual running? What goals do I need to set?
Clear Accountability: Do I have clear accountability in place for my spiritual life? Who do I know is going to check up on my progress? Why do I leave this to chance instead of seeking someone who will clearly hold me accountable?
Who runs with me: Who else is running the race that I should invite to run with me?
Priorities: Priorities are always a challenge to me. Work and the immediate steal too much time. Ministry becomes more important than my personal preparation for the race. How can I better lock this priority in?

Have you got any helpful thoughts or insights? Why not leave a comment?