God's Power In The Pace

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Many years ago I would set the goal for myself to get some exercise through jogging. Inevitably I would give up soon after beginning a regiment of running because inevitably I would trip and fall which became really discouraging! I soon realized that as I was running, I was not really paying attention to what I was doing. Nor was I enthusiastic about running. Because I wasn't pacing myself or enjoying what I was doing, I often gave up shortly after I started.

Sometimes when we are ministering to others, we run at such a pace that we feel like we have failed miserably because it doesn't seem like we are succeeding in helping those we are serving. Perhaps we have missed the whole point of running in the first place. God is the One who has the power to help us run and not be weary. He is the One we need to rest in for our strength.

Reading some articles about running reveals that pacing yourself helps you to go the distance. It involves stretching before you run, breathing correctly while you are running and pacing yourself with the distances you run. Running can be much more enjoyable and less stressful when it is done for pleasure and not as an obligation.

In life and ministry, we need to lean into the One who gives us renewed strength so that we will be able to run the race and not grow weary as we serve those around us. We need to recognize God's power in the pace!