Trading "Not Fun" for Fun

I suppose that it is part of growing up--that moment when a person realizes that sometimes you need to do what is not fun in order to have fun later. This week of running has not been fun. Nagging injuries, adding soccer officiating to the workout schedule, unseasonably cold weather. But I find some consolation in the reality (I hope) that these not fun days will allow October 3rd to be more fun than the last time. These days much of life seems to be that way.

Frankly, my faith journey has often seemed much the same. In order to become who I truly desire to be--a growing, thriving child of God--I often need to do things that I do not feel like doing. I rarely feel like pursuing self-denial and a focus on others. I rarely feel like showing compassion when it is "costly" to me. I rarely feel like going out of my way to benefit someone else, especially when they cannot offer me something in return. But when did feeling like doing or not doing something become the ultimate measure? Shouldn't the end result be the ultimate measure? If feeling like it were the determiner of what gets done, how many of us would have ever been born? (From what I hear, pregnancy is no picnic, not to mention childbirth.)

If how I feel about something is not the measure, then what is? How about some objective truth? I have staked my life on the objective truth of the Bible--that what God says goes. When God says that seeking the benefit of others ahead of my own benefit is the way to live, then I will strive to make that my choice. When God says that being compassionate is His preference, then I will strive to become a more compassionate person. And who knows, maybe at some point God's preferences will also become my own?

And in the meantime, I believe that God gets to say. After all, it is His universe. And by the way, on October 3rd, I will not be able to stop running at mile 19 and call it a completed marathon. Whether I feel like going 26.2 will not matter. All that will matter is getting to the end of the course that has been measured by someone who gets to say.

Pressing On!
-Ken