Running Reflections

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

- Hebrews 12:1-3

I ran last Friday to make up for the canceled training last Vday. I needed to burn all the fat I consumed the previous day AND the fat I was going to eat the entire weekend (I believe I wasn't successful because I ate more than I burned. Hehe.)

I suddenly realized how boring it is to run alone, and how I felt unmotivated without a group and a coach to push me to run faster. The short running track didn't help - it was tiring to run around the same track over and over. After several rounds, I decided to listen to a podcast from CCF to help me pass the time. I randomly picked out a message given last year by Pastor Peter Tan-Chi. The title of the message is, "The greatest Legacy: Intimacy with God".

As always, Pastor Peter's message is replete with wisdom but one of the lessons that stood out from the message is his discussion of Hebrews 12:1-3, particularly the first verse which talks about throwing off "everything that hinders". The New American Standard Bible translation mentions "encumbrance", while the New King James version refers to it as, "every weight". Pastor Peter mentions that these "encumbrances" affect our walk with God and slows us down. It's interesting how the author emphasizes that these "encumbrances" are different from sin, but they equally prevent us from pursuing what God wants for us.

In our walk of faith (at least in mine), we overemphasize the need to avoid sin, to battle with sin, to confess our sins to God. Without doubt, sin causes us to stumble and fall; and to even ultimately cut our relationship with the Father. The need to be vigilant when faced with temptation and sin is, of course, important, but what we don't realize is that other things - which may not necessarily be bad or evil - can prevent us from doing what God wants. For me, these things can be dangerous because some of them appear to be good; we get so immersed in them that we don't realize we've been distracted already. A seemingly harmless hobby, venture, or interest may evolve into an obsession that derails us from our godly pursuits.

I carefully thought about the "encumbrances" in my life and I was able to come up with the following list. It's incomplete, as I'm sure there are a lot of other hindrances that I may not notice:

The constant need for comfort and convenience. Comfort is something we all want and aspire for ourselves and for those we love. But the need for comfort becomes destructive when one refuses to do God's will because of it. In my case, I've been used to living a certain way that I can't imagine doing things differently, or exerting more effort to achieve something. As much as possible, I avoid getting into something that would cause me discomfort and stress - even if it would mean achieving a higher good. For a time, I thought about giving up attending my discipleship group because it takes me one hour to go there every time. But the truth is, God is more concerned of our character than our convenience; there are cases when the latter should not be a primary consideration when making decisions, especially major ones. I think we should not be limited by our comfort zone. I do believe that getting out of the comfort zone to do what God wants us to do will bless us exponentially.

Saw this photo on Pinterest and I just thought it may be apt

Facebook. And also, mindless surfing. :P I think we're all guilty of overfacebooking at some point. Since I'm a photographer, I can easily justify Facebooking and tell myself that I need it to upload photos/reply to clients. In reality, half the time, I log in to Facebook to gather chismis and/or stalk people. I sometimes set 30-minute deadlines but almost every time, I fail in my attempts and I end up Facebooking for hours. It hasn't come to a point when my work actually suffered because of it, but I'm thinking if I can Facebook for hours in a day, I can't claim to have no time to read the bible or do my devotions.

Unnecessary splurges. I don't spend much on major tangible items (except for cameras or anything camera-related), but I feel that I spend more than I should on food, clothes, and concert tickets. Hehe. Also, on several occasions, I booked myself on trips because I felt low and I "needed" to get out. Never mind that I didn't have the budget for it and I could've saved a lot had I waited for a proper timing. The worse part is, I sometimes fail to give to the church because I fall short on cash. I know when I go over my budget because it gives me an unsettling feeling inside. (Yes, that unsettling feeling is called guilt :P)

A friend told me before (and I forgot where she got this from) that before I make any major purchases (or minor ones as well), I should ask myself the following questions: 1) Do I want it? 2) Do I need it? 3) Is it within my means? 4) Does God want me to buy it? This would help a lot and prevent me from making rash decisions on money. I guess it may be applied also to making decisions on other matters. So the next time I think of booking another trip to Singapore (because I feel down/bored/pissed/frustrated), I should ask myself these questions.

The need for other peoples' approval. As much as possible, I play it safe when dealing with anyone. I try not to say anything that would be hurtful or offensive so I can gain the approval/acceptance of other people. This might lead to me not talking at all. Because of my constant need to be accepted, I fail to voice out my opinions, specifically, those matters related to my faith. I'm guilty of not sharing my faith and testimony because of the fear that people may reject me for it (or at least roll their eyes at me, which is an equally repulsive thing to do and I will hate them for it. Hehe). If I can't overcome this hurdle, then I don't think I'd be an effective Christian leader. So this is something I should pray for also, in addition to the ten thousand other things that I should be lifting up to God. 

As I said, I'm sure there are a lot of other encumbrances, but these are the ones I should work on at the moment. If anyone is serious in their walk in the Lord, I suggest that, aside from focusing on the sin that easily entangles, consider and mull over also on those encumbrances that slow us down.