Running in Sand

With every step I took, my breath became more labored as I tried to jog through the thick mounds of dry sand on certain areas of the beach.  My jogging pace was no different to what I typically do on hard concrete, but I was exerting more energy than average to move through the sand.  Even with the extra effort, I was not making much progress.  The sand conquered me and I let it, opting instead to just sit on it, play with it and think.

Life is not a beach but many of us run in sand on a daily basis.  We put forth the extra effort that a ‘successful’ life requires, only to be slowed down; to be held back; to be conquered.   Does this sound familiar? That was me before I surrendered to Jesus Christ and gave Him total control of my life.  I was running in sand for so long; running in my own strength; using all my energy to do what I thought was right for me, only to find myself lagging, running in circles, running backwards or stalled on the beach of life, wondering why.  The day I stopped running and let Jesus Christ carry me, was the beginning of an amazing and fulfilling life.  In His arms, I haven’t looked back. In His arms, the scenery changes but life is full of excitement and full of hope.  In His arms, I have been going places; places that I never thought I would go; places that I didn’t even know existed.  With Jesus in control, my feet are swift and the wind is always at my back and I find myself achieving goals quicker than I had anticipated.

There is a common saying that I try to live by – “Work Smarter, Not Harder.” Life is tough but living a life without Jesus will only make it harder. I have chosen to ‘work’ smarter at life by placing Him in the center of all I do.  There are times when I do encounter those thick mounds of sand that threaten to deter me or to slow me down, but I look to Him for strength in those challenging times and I let Him carry me through.

Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The two words in this verse that are instrumental to successfully running and finishing the race of life are “through Christ.”

For those of you that are already following Him, I would encourage you – if you have not– to completely place your life in His hands and to let Him truly lead you.

To those of you who are stuck in sand, unsure of where to go or who to turn to, my prayer is that you will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as your personal Savior so that He is enabled to start making a difference in your life.