…[L]et us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…
Hebrew 12:1 (NIV)

My husband and I have been running together off and on since the inception of our friendship.

I’m pretty quiet during these runs, being the more introverted of the two of us. During our long treks, my favorite moment usually happens in the second mile, when my mind and breathing finally settle into a rhythm. There, the heavens seem to part, and I have really great chats with the Lord as I look out over the beautiful Louisiana farming landscape.

My husband, being the human version of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, brings an ongoing barrage of chatter and cheesy jokes to our runs, practically yelling over his headphones, never quite hearing my replies. My response is often a breathless grunt (or a jokey attempt to pretend like I didn’t hear). I usually tell him, “I’m over here fighting for my life! I cannot talk to you right now!” He just laughs and keeps on doing his thing, as I do mine.

For reference, Michael is about a foot taller than me, with a much longer stride. I know that often, he’s holding back running at his comfortable pace to stay by my side. On a recent run, I noticed he’d get about 20 steps ahead of me and circle back. I don’t know why I was taking it so personally that day, but I was so bothered by it that I couldn’t get into my sweet spot. This went on for most of the run. “Just run at your own pace,” I grumbled to myself.

With him running literal circles around me, I was distracted. I felt conflicted—I didn’t want to try to speed up to match him, because I know my limits. But I also didn’t want him to hold back for me. It was making me feel ultra insecure. Running this way made the minutes feel very long, and the destination feel so far away. I kept looking up for the finish line of home, painfully aware that if I ran as fast as him, we’d be done by now.

Finally, in an effort divided between making a bratty point and reclaiming the joy in the experience, I grabbed the brim of my hat, jerked it down over my eyes, and cranked my music up. I knew I needed to shift my focus to my own pacing and breathing.

Within a few minutes, I hit my stride. There, focused on my own breathing, heart rate, and ideal pace, simply by focusing on the next steps I needed to take, I felt confident again. And, as usual, God did His thing. “Run your race,” I heard.

There, focused on my own breathing, heart rate, and ideal pace, simply by focusing on the next steps I needed to take, I felt confident again. And, as usual, God did His thing. “Run your race,” I heard.

When I got home, I looked it up in my Bible. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV)

There it was. I had let myself get so distracted by Michael’s pace and run that mine became almost unbearable. Let’s think about that in a spiritual sense. God has set before each of us a race. This pathway is our life. He has equipped us uniquely to accomplish this. He is the one who created the path and defines whether we win or lose.

But so often, we are looking at the crowd instead of our next steps. We are comparing. We are looking at the differences. “I’ll never be able to…” “She is so much better at…” And suddenly, insecurity and distraction steal all the joy in the experience. They become weights that slow us down and make the journey almost unbearable. Have you ever been there?

Maybe what God wants to whisper to you today is…run your own race. Be present in your own experience as a Christ follower. Instead of focusing on what others can do that might be a struggle for you, learn about your gifting. Your capacity. Your unique call. And most of all, your Savior. He’s not asking you to be anyone other than you. So, stop looking to others to measure and define your success. After all, Hebrews 12:2 continues and tells us we should be “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith […].”

Where is my focus? Am I fixing my eyes on Jesus through Bible study, prayer, obedience and service? Or am I weighing myself down with things that I need to lay aside?

As you run your race today, ask yourself—Where is my focus? Am I fixing my eyes on Jesus through Bible study, prayer, obedience and service? Or am I weighing myself down with things that I need to lay aside, like comparison? Distraction Jealousy? Resentment? Or insecurity?

Change your gaze to zero in on putting one foot in front of the other, and making steady progress at the pace God has for you. There, you find your rhythm, your joy, and your Savior cheering you on.