Be an All Weather Follower

“Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24 BSB

Upon arriving at OMRR’s 25th annual Run for the Ranch event in Springfield on Saturday, my husband and I checked in, grabbed our bibs, and then proceeded to set up for Runner’s Church—where my husband would deliver a short message before we headed to the start line. Wondering how many runners we might expect to join us, I found the Race Director (a friend, fellow runner, and sister in Christ) and asked how many people were registered for the race (that included several distances) that morning. To which she replied “A lot!” She went on to tell me that they didn’t even have enough medals for all of the finishers since registration numbers were about 370 (nearly double the usual field). And, of course, as fellow race directors, we both understood why there was such a rise in participation and why this was a good problem. The unseasonably warm temps had caused a lot of people to sign up at the last minute. You see, the weather in Missouri this time of year is very unpredictable (as you can imagine) so many people wait to see what it will be like before signing up. Personally, I’ve had the pleasure of running the RFTR marathon several times and can recall being decked out in full winter gear and also in a short sleeved shirt and shorts (which is what I had on Saturday). Hence the reason many “fair weather” runners opt to run only if the conditions are favorable. 

And, you know, when it comes to following Jesus and completing the spiritual race set before us, Jesus was very clear that there would be no room for “fair weather” runners or followers who opted to follow Him only when the conditions were favorable. Jesus was so adamant about this that He was brutally honest when speaking to the disciples and said “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Jesus was teaching that nothing less than a total denial of self to the point of death of self would suffice. And that to follow Him required that a person would have to let go of even the smallest bit of their own agenda, their comfort, their personal dreams, and their way of living in the world. It meant and means sacrificing every ounce of self to chase after Him and follow to Him no matter the conditions. 

So, in a world that’s growing increasingly hostile to those who choose to follow Jesus, vow now to run the race and carry your cross to the very end my friend. No matter the weather, the hardships, the pressure to conform, or the threat of punishment for doing so, strive to be known as an all weather follower rather than a fair weathered one. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of Jesus who modeled what it means to follow You with our whole lives. Help us to understand that this race will not be easy, but it will be worth it. And we ask Lord that you give us the strength to continue running until the very end no matter what obstacles or weather we encounter. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!