Your Posture sets Your Pace
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
If you’ve been around the church for awhile you may have come across the phrase or idea that we are “walking” with Jesus. Interestingly the Apostle Paul describes it as a run!
In this passage of scripture Paul writes,
“Brothers and sisters I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:13-14
I recently have gotten back into the habit of running in the mornings (or as often as I find the time!) and it reminded me of when I joined the track and Cross country team in middle school. I was fast! I wasn’t the fastest sprinter on the team but I was the fastest distance runner we had.
I’ll never forget what my coach taught me in my first year of running long distance. He talked about how important it was to keep your posture upright. Usually what would happen is a runner would get tired and they would start to slump forward. They’d lose their posture and hunch their back and sort of “fall” forward with each step.
He explained how if you kept your posture upright not only would that improve your breathing, but that your stride would actually be longer and thus you could improve your time by improving your posture.
Your posture sets your pace.
I have found that the same is true in life. As we run, as we press forward, what does your posture look like? Are you always looking back and the life you were once living? Are you looking back at a past when God has a much better future in mind for you?
Your past may have happened but it does not define your present. Your past does not discount you from God’s love and mercy! He has a plan and purpose for your life!
Or maybe you haven’t been looking back as much, but you’ve been looking to the side. You’re trying to run your own race but you keep getting caught up in comparison and where others are instead of you. The toxic emotion of bitterness creeps in as you watch something that someone else has that you wished for, or prayed for.
What kind of posture are you running with?
If I am honest with you I’ve been guilty of all of that. Running while looking back. Running while looking to the side and comparing what God has given to me. Running while looking down on myself. My posture has been lousy.
I believe God is calling us to run with a new posture once more.
My hope is that we would run with a posture of joy.
“When a king’s face brightens, it means life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.” - Proverbs 16:15
When we run with a posture of joy it brings life to those around us and helps others to flourish. I want to learn what it means to live life with joy so that my family can flourish, that my community would flourish. I hope to run with a posture of joy.
My hope is that we would also run with a posture of humility.
“Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.” - Proverbs 16:19
When we run with a posture of humility it is better than being prideful. When you and I pursue pride it isolates us from others, it creates a barrier that keeps us separated from relationship. Pride is antithetical to love itself. Humility is the soil of true relationship. God loves the humble heart and when we come to him in humility and repentance we will find a wellspring of life and peace. He is the one who raises us up, we do not need to do it ourselves.
God is calling us heavenward. My prayer for you and I is that we would run our race like those who came before and faithfully followed Christ to the end. With humility and joy.
