I love to run. I love to put my headphones in my ears and enjoy the atmosphere around me. I love when the weather is temperate and I can feel the fresh air. I don’t just love the feeling of running after I finish, but the actual feel of running itself. I love setting running goals and achieving those running goals. Because of this, I have decided to run another half marathon. Just like in many things, training is about as hard as the race itself. Spending time to prepare your body for the event coming up takes time and work. I have also found that there is even more importance in the mental workout it takes to finish the long runs, and the attention to an appropriate diet and hydration.
With God’s help, I have been able to achieve some long runs over the last few months. My longest one was 11.5 miles. I was so nervous to embark on this long run. I didn’t know if I would be able to make it. I prayed to the Lord both before and during, and I know he helped me achieve it. However, halfway through, I was tired. This did not make me feel good. There were so many miles left that I almost started to panic. Maybe I should just run 7 or 8 miles? I can do 7 or 8 miles. There will be adrenaline when it comes to the day of my half marathon anyway, so will it really matter if I run 11.5 miles today? However, then I prayed and I remember to focus on one mile at a time. Mile after mile was completed and all of sudden, I had completed 11.5 miles in a fairly good time. The Lord had helped me slowly achieve what I, at one time, thought was impossible.
The anxiety I felt when running my 11.5 miles often is experienced in other life situations. I have struggled with anxiety in the past, and I have struggled with the way I talk to myself in the past. Sometimes my thoughts do not match those of a Christian woman. I can get sucked down with disbelief in God and disbelief in the spirit that is in me. Proverbs 23:7 describes this feeling perfectly, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The way that we think says a lot about what we are and says a lot about what may be our future. How we choose to view ourselves, our-bodies that God has created for us and our life situations can have a positive or negative impact on our future lives.
Satan is very good about making us doubt ourselves. He is very good at picking through our insecurities until we are completely bogged down with how we feel about ourselves and with Jesus Christ, our Lord as well. As a woman who struggles with anxiety, it is amazing how I can go from a normal day to a day of pure chaos. I can wake up in the best of spirits, and soon I will hear some bad news and suddenly I have no belief that God is in control or that he has a plan. Suddenly, I am believing the absolute worst situation is going to happen.
Sadly, many others are also struggling with their mental health and their increasing anxiety. As a teacher, I see so many of my students struggling through their anxiety and their declining mental health. It is so sad to see them being paralyzed with fear of the future or being discouraged by their inabilities. I try to encourage them even amidst their fear or their discouragement.
When I want a strong reminder, I think of this verse, Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.” There are many negative items coming in from the world. Bad things happen which then lead to bad attitudes and ultimately even worse future consequences. When we choose to think about the noble, right, pure, and lovely, we are looking at the items that are not of this world. These are the beautiful creations we have from God.
I will never claim that with positive thoughts everything in life will be perfect. However, I am reminding us all that when we focus on Christ and possess a more positive mindset, we will be able to achieve a lot more than we could otherwise. I am going to end this blog post with a prayer, one I am hoping each one of you will take to heart each day as you are about to conquer your tough situations, distraught and imperfect co-workers, an impossible task to be completed, or anything else that you feel you are not ready to face.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the abilities and the experiences you have given me today. Thank you for the opportunity I have to be a light for you on this earth. I pray for confidence in my ability to complete all you have set out for me today. Please help me avoid being discouraged by the devil in his scheming and undermining ways. Please help me to conquer thoughts of insecurity and doubt. Please help me remember, through your spirit, to have a strong mindset.
Update: Yesterday I did in fact complete my half marathon. It took me two hours and 10 minutes which was 20 minutes faster than last year!
Colossians 3:23 Blog 