When it comes to working out, some people like to say I’m petty, but I like to believe that I’m just a little bit competitive. Either way, pettiness/competitiveness can you a great workout. Sometimes.
I went for a morning run, and per usual, I was minding my own business until an older man that I had just passed running with hand weights passed me by. This told me that I needed to kick it in gear and step up my pace. Was I looking forward to this? No, seeing as how we were on a slightly steep incline, but I did what I needed to do, and so did he. I sped up a bit and passed the man by. I felt great, as if I had just accomplished something major, until moments later when this same guy passed me once again. “Sir, can you not?” Is what I was thinking, however, I made the executive decision to just race him and win. I pushed myself harder than I had in the past and sprinted to the bottom claiming victory over a race no one else was running. Could I actually celebrate? No, because I was too busy trying to catch my breath, open up my lungs and not collapse. My legs felt like jello and the only thing I wanted to do was sit down, but I still needed to make it back to my car and get to work. As I eased my way to my car, you know who came strolling pass me as if he hadn’t even broken a sweat.
How often does our competitiveness or fear of getting left behind cause us to jump in someone else’s lane, and try to run their race faster than their pace?
I had not prepared to run nearly as fast as I did, and although I made it to my destination, I did it on someone else’s time. How often do we try to bypass God’s timing to get to our destination, and run our race at our competitive pace? When we’re doing what He has called and assigned us to do, when He assigns us to do it, then the only people we need to race is ourselves. It’s so easy to desire what other people have when they have it, without even realizing that if we had what they had in the same timing, we may not be ready. Someone else’s blessing may be our burden, but the blessings with our names on them can’t be touched or taken.
Run your race, at His pace!
His Plan, My Purpose 