Running with Perseverance

I have been really struggling with my morning run over the last couple of weeks. I would describe it as trying to run in the mud. I have to talk myself into going for a run, and then the entire time I am running I am battling with all the reasons I should just stop. But, so far, I just keep pushing through. I am running a little slower, but I am running. While I was running this morning, in between the ongoing arguments of why I should just stop and walk or turn around and go home, I had some time to think about the verse in Hebrews 12:1:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
I am starting to think that these mud runs are something that God is using to teach me a little about perseverance. Running is something I have been really enjoying. Up until two weeks ago, I woke up looking forward to going running. I was in some sort of zone, I think. I was running increasingly faster miles. I had almost as much energy at the end of the run as I did when I started. Let’s go running? I’m in. All in. But now, for this season, for whatever reason, it’s different. I wake up and think, OK, I need to go running in a little while and I start thinking up excuses. I will go later. It is too hot. It is too humid. It might rain. I think my knee hurts. I am too busy. Then, I get dressed and go running.
Of course, I believe there would be grace not to go. But, I think the struggle is deeper. I am confident that if I just keep pressing in and pressing on, persevering, that I will have a breakthrough and will start enjoying the run again. I think this is what it looks like to run with perseverance. I think my life as a disciple is often like this. There are times and seasons when I look forward to all that my day as a disciple will bring. Problems and challenges are just something that I can be amazed at how God moves into and handles. There are other times and seasons when problems and challenges of the day seem completely overwhelming and everything feels like it is coming apart at the seams. What is different? Has to be me. God never changes. He is always faithful. Even when I am faithless. So, I choose today to run with perseverance. I look forward to the breakthrough. And, it is really hot and humid.