Walking With Bruised HeelsSample

Run

There are times in our walk with Christ where He tells us to run.

Imagine you’re on a walk and a vicious, scary, teeth-baring dog escapes out of someone’s yard and comes running after you. I’m ashamed to say that more than once when on a walk with my girlfriends, I’ve seen a stray dog and I’ve freaked out and pushed my friends toward the dog as I ran for my escape! I’m deathly afraid of strange dogs that appear unfriendly, and apparently, I have some selfish reflexes.  

As horrible as this analogy is, it serves as a great picture of how we’re supposed to respond to certain kinds of traps Satan sets up for us. For instance, the Bible commands us to flee from sexual immorality—in other words, run for your life! If something is a temptation for you, run and let Jesus fight that battle for you. Push Him towards that vicious dog coming for you and run!

There are also times God tells us to run because we’re entering a danger zone that we shouldn’t just casually walk by. Why? Because if your foot slips in this area, it can really take you down. It’s crucial that we know His voice so we can protect our feet and not get caught in a deathly trap.  

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, the Bible talks about running in another context: a race.

We’re told to run this race with a single-minded pursuit: to get the imperishable prize from Jesus Himself when we get to heaven. We’re not running aimlessly as someone beating the air, but running to get a “crown that will last forever.”

It’s not about competing with one another; it’s about finishing the race He has marked out for us. He has a path—a lane specifically designed for our feet to travel—and our job is to stay on course, keep walking with Jesus, and fulfill our God-given purpose in this life.

To do this, we need to discipline our bodies to run away from evil, run toward Jesus, and run with Jesus with a determination to know Him and use our gifts to bring Him glory. Our physical bodies may take a beating and our heels are going to get bruised through trials and hardships, but our spiritual body will grow stronger day by day.

We don’t need to get ahead of Jesus and run without direction or in our own strength. We just need to keep pace with Jesus, and He’ll help us, teach us, and love us along the way. He’s the key to finishing the race.

When we travel with Christ, we’re secure in where we’re headed. We’re full of purpose, knowing that we’re finishing the race marked out for us and not stopping until we’ve received the eternal prize.

Even when our heels are bruised, we have the authority in Christ to crush Satan’s head. He can injure us, but he can’t take us out.

In Christ, we’ve already won the race!