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Commitment Vs. Competition

"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23

The date of my first 5k is quickly approaching and I must admit, I'm getting a little nervous. To be honest, I'm most nervous about running in front of other people. I've said throughout this entire journey that I'm not exercising as a way to compete with other people. I so much enjoy that quiet time between God and I and I'm learning to see my value through God's eyes. 
While healthy competition can be good, I don't want to feel defeated when someone has a better time than me. People will have a better time than me. On the other hand, I don't want to become prideful if I run better than someone else.

 I want my running to be enjoyable and to improve my walk with the Lord. I don't want pride or feelings of defeat to drive a wedge in the relationship I've worked so hard to develop. When I begin to notice such feelings creep up, I pray Colossians 3:23.

"Lord, help me to work willingly at whatever I do, including jogging. Help me to make this journey about my relationship with You, not comparing myself to other people."

I truly believe that if I can let the Lord teach me this now, I can instill the same values in my own children. I want my kids to know that while it's commendable to be the best they can be and to excel at the things they do, they should never focus solely on being better than everyone else. They should always work willingly for the Lord, not just work to impress us as their parents, or anyone else for that matter. I want them to know that it's okay to be happy when they succeed, but being humble is even better. 

The Lord takes pride in His children when they work hard with the right motives. Even if I don't run a 10 minute mile, the Lord is still proud that I'm out there running and that I'm spending time with Him. I can rest assured that even if I come in last place, I'm not a failure. Failing would be never trying in the first place. I thank the Lord that He has showed me this while my children are still young so that I can hopefully never pressure them with unrealistic expectations. 

So I leave you with 1 Samuel 16:7 today, "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'"

Even if my outside appearance or performance isn't the "best" according to the world, I can always rest assured that God sees my heart. And that's what really matters. 

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