Anyone Can Do a Turnaround

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.” 1 Timothy 1:15 NLT

In a story titled "How Far Can Running Take You After a Decade of Addiction?" published by Runner's World on Wednesday, it was reported that a long time ago—before he’d freebased opioids or robbed his best friend or checked himself into rehab for the sixth time—Mitch Ammons had dreams of a future involving running. Ammons can only shrug when asked to pinpoint the lowest point in a life filled with them. He spent a decade careening along the rock bottom, mired in what he now calls “the worst possible self-hate.” Mitch Ammons knows his story could have ended like the stories of so many buddies from his darkest years—with an obituary. Instead, the longtime addict changed course in a manner that is, without hyperbole, beyond belief. It’s tough to fully grasp the scale of this turnaround until you see Ammons run—to see him metronomically cruise 4:50 miles for more than an hour or to watch him push himself to the brink of consciousness in an interval session at sunrise. Then you can absorb the way he embraces suffering—relishing the revelation of what his body can do while immersing himself in pain that must feel like a cosmic body rub compared to waking up every morning in opiate withdrawal.

And you know, Mitch isn’t the only person who’s known for their remarkable turnaround. The apostle Paul, once known for being what he describes as “the worst of them all,” was a sinner saved by grace who completely turned his life around—going from a murderer to a martyr, and from a person who rejected Jesus to a man completely on fire for Him. Who even boldly declared to the world that “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” That means, as Paul came to realize, that no one is too far gone from being able to turn their lives around if they will simply turn to and accept the only One who can wipe their slate clean and give them a fresh start. 

So if today finds you in need of a 180 degree change, don’t wait until tomorrow to turn to Jesus my friend. It may seem beyond belief but He can and will change you from the inside out… so much so that you can, like Paul, declare that you are a sinner saved by grace. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the grace and mercy that You extend to every person who chooses to follow You. It’s beyond belief that You would forgive the worst of sinners but that’s what You do. Thank You for being the God of second chances. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!