Pursue what will remain

The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever." 1 John 2:17 BSB

With the Badger Trail 100 race only days away, it was disheartening for numerous runners, many of my friends included, to hear the news yesterday that the Ultra Marathon was canceled due to the rising level of restrictions being put in place by the DNR due to COVID-19. Knowing the amount of training, sacrifice and discipline that goes into training for a race of this distance, the race directors offered a virtual option to complete the race but clearly understood the feelings of many runners when they said, "To some of you, racing is everything. And when these races are cancelled, I know you feel like you have nothing."  And you know for many racers, that is exactly the way they are feeling right now... like they have nothing. After all, by the time a well-trained runner steps up to the start line of a 100-mile race, they have already put in at least a thousand miles of training, running in every possible condition (heat, cold, rain, darkness, fatigue, hunger, pain) to be ready for every condition. In fact, the training for many can consume their lives.

And you know, the same is true of anything we pursue in life with an all out-effort; whether it be relationships, money, fame, success, or followers. These things, if we aren't careful, can consume our lives and lead us away from pursuing a relationship with Christ--a pursuit that should be above all else. Especially since, as the story shows, our worldly pursuits can be stripped away in a moment. In fact, the Bible tells us that "the world is passing away along with its desires” which means everything you and I could ever work to achieve or possess in “the world” will one day be gone. Except those things we have done for God. Those will remain forever.

So while it's great to have goals and aspirations, let us not pursue them at the expense of pursuing Christ. Let us put Him first in our lives so that when the things of this world pass away or are taken away, we won't feel as if we have nothing because God will be our everything.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God worth pursuing above all else. Help us to understand how fleeting this life is that we would live it with eternity in mind. Help us to look to You for comfort, peace, wisdom, and guidance in a world that is "passing away" before our very eyes. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

All that I am - The Afters