"I'm a Runner"

I used this in my sermon on Sunday to illustrate how the challenge to those of us running the Christian race is often, "Which direction am I running?"

“I’m a Runner”

My name is Rusty Tugman and I’m a runner.

I run for God and towards God. Sometimes running with God feels effortless for me. I hit that spiritual runner’s high and I am invigorated, refreshed, and inspired. My legs feel strong, my lungs feel powerful, and my spirit feels renewed. I’m a runner.

To be honest, sometimes running is arduous, difficult, and painful. I am running, but it doesn’t feel good, God seems distant, and I can’t see any evidence of a finish line or a reward. But I keep running. I keep running because I remember why I run. I run this Christian race because God made me to run it. I run for God and towards God because I am in love with God. I run because my Savior ran for me. I run because I have a son waiting for me in heaven. I run because I have daughter who needs me to teach her about Christ. I run because I have a wife who deserves a husband whose character is shaped by Christ. I run because I have a congregation of wonderful people who are counting on me to run beside them in this race. And so, I run through the pain. I’m a runner.

However, there have been times in my life when I have run away from God. I have run away from opportunities to share the gospel with someone because I didn’t care enough. I have run away from difficult decisions because I was too worried about what others would think of me. I have run away from God’s will to follow my own sinful desires. I am tempted to run away from the calling of God on my life because I am too selfish, too fearful, too prideful, too arrogant, too calloused, too stubborn, too worldly, and too sinful.

Ironically, it is those characteristics that inspire me again to run towards God. I am too selfish, too fearful, too prideful, too arrogant, too calloused, too stubborn, too worldly, and too sinful to make it on my own.

I’m a runner – sometimes I find myself running to God and sometimes I find myself running away from God. But I’m a runner.

I’m a runner, and everyday I have to ask myself, “Which direction will I run today?”