I don’t run.

 

Except to coffee shops.

 

And anyone who has dark chocolate.

 

But running clothes are cute. So then, maybe, I should run. Just so I can look cute.

 

Nah.

 

But I do run towards Christ because I’m on a pilgrimage.

 

It’s a journey we walk, run and battle our way through. We set our hearts. We fix our eyes. And we move our feet.

 

“I will run in the way of your commandments for you set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32

 

I don’t know about you, but this whole life thing can trip me up, trap me fast, and triple my heartache. My heart sometimes doesn’t feel free.

 

It gets caught up in performance or perfection. My heart trades worldly wisdom for godly wisdom. It mistakes man’s words for God’s word. Lies snare. Idols form. And soon I’ve traded the glory of God for a false light. Then I no longer run, but stub my toe on a rock, trip over a boulder, and tumble down the cliff.

 

I sit stunned and wonder how I got here. You too? Do you feel like you stumble more than you run? Do you want to know how to run? I do, too.

 

Reveal Your Heart

Ask God to show you your heart. It’s okay if you cringe, I know I do. But this is the deal. We can forget, for a while, the contents of our hearts and fool ourselves into thinking that nasty little section that gossips or harbors bitterness isn’t really there, but God sees all. Only instead of following our example by condemning us, he lovingly convicts. Because how can we run free if our hearts are bound to sin?

 

How can we run free when we are bound to performance or perfection?  How can we be free if we are more worried about what other’s think of us instead of doing what’s right in God’s eyes? When fear rules our lives, we cannot be free.

 

So. Freedom to run. Not away, but towards God. It comes when our hearts are set free of any sin that stops forward momentum. Freedom comes when we know who we are in Christ and when we surrender all to him.

 

I know that my ability to run lies in how open I make my heart to God. Will I let him have unfettered access? Will I risk trusting him with the most intimate details of my life?

 

Take the Risk

It’s risky. This journey we’re on. But one unequivocally worth it. So, how do we run? We fix our eyes on Jesus. We give the Holy Spirit full access to our heart. And we trust God for strength and endurance.

 

We can do it. I know it looks hard, but running well is a benefit of freedom. Step into the freedom and run. He has set your heart free.