Monitor Yourself

Monitor Yourself

We know our own bodies better than anyone else, except perhaps a doctor who has prodded, probed, and tested us. Unless we have an obvious external injury, we feel most of our pains inside; only we are aware of them. We also know which feelings to ignore, such as stiffness from sitting in a car on a long drive, the burning sensation after ingesting a hot pepper, the pain of scraping our knuckles against a brick wall, and other minor aches and irritations. But some sensations are like warning lights and should be taken seriously—a sudden severe headache, chest pains, blurred vision, and others. We monitor our physical well-being by being aware of what our bodies are telling us.

Self-monitoring is vital in working out (we discussed this in Week 17) and in running, especially during long-distance races. We need to be aware of the warning signals and take appropriate action—stopping to stretch, applying Vaseline, removing a layer of clothing, taking fluids, and so forth. We should also monitor how we’re doing as we compare pace, time, and distance with our plan. Some runners wear heart monitors, and those with special needs have other medical devices.

Of course, these signals and monitors simply give us information. We still need to respond. Not only will this help us avoid injury, it will also make us better runners.

Self-monitoring is important in our spiritual lives as well. But here’s a bulletin: God has given us an internal monitor—the Holy Spirit. Listen to this powerful truth:

You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) (Romans 8:9)

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will “convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (John 16:8). Simply put, this means that the Holy Spirit will make us sensitive to sin and its consequences. He’ll let us know when we’re running off course and need to take corrective action—like a spiritual GPS.

The Runner

A. Hare was a natural athlete who could run circles around just about anyone. Running was so natural to him that he always seemed to be in motion. One day A. signed up for the local marathon. He knew he could do it . . . and he certainly was in shape. At the start, A. took off and was easily in the first pack of runners. He blew past the aid stations while others were slowing to grab some water. After a few miles A. felt a hot spot on one foot, but he thought, That’s nothing, and kept running. A mile later his left hamstring felt a little tight, but he shrugged it off and kept running. In another couple of miles, both situations had worsened, and A. had to slow and sort of hop along.

T. Ortice also liked to run, but he wasn’t very fast—just steady. T. had been looking forward to the marathon and had trained for three months; he knew he was ready. At the start, everyone seemed to get the jump on him, but he left and ran his usual slow but steady pace. Down the road a bit, T. felt a hot spot on one foot, so he stopped at an aid station and applied some petroleum jelly. He also was careful to drink fluids early because he knew he’d need the hydration later. When his hamstring felt a little tight, he stopped and stretched it out, not wanting to risk pulling it. And he kept running—not very fast, but steady.

Guess who finished the race?

The Race

Like T. Ortice, if we want to run well and finish the race, we need to monitor ourselves and heed the warning signals, especially what the Holy Spirit is telling us.

The Spirit will speak to us through our conscience, our internal moral compass, but he will also use godly preachers, teachers, writers, and leaders. God may whisper a warning through a Christian friend or shout one through a challenge or conflict. But most often, he speaks through his Word, which we’ve already discussed in Week 8.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16), and “we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1).

As we read Scripture, we learn about God and how he wants us to live. And in measuring our lives by his standards, we monitor ourselves.

The Result

This monitoring process isn’t all negative. Certainly the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin and tell us to stop acting and thinking in the wrong ways. But he will also point us toward positive actions to take. God may urge us to help a person in need, share the gospel with a friend or coworker, donate generously to his work, or come alongside someone who’s hurting.

Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s urgings and hearing God’s voice will keep us moving in the right direction and running well.

My Story

My first marathon was the Chicago Marathon, which had about thirty-eight thousand runners. I was in awe of the entire event. The shot went off, but it took me ten minutes just to get to the starting line. I was not sure how far I could run, but I knew that if I could make twenty miles, I could make it to the end.

I ran the first five miles on adrenaline, and it was awesome. The next five miles got a little tougher, and after about ten miles I knew I would need help to make it.

I had my cell phone with me and called one of my best friends, Phil. He knew I was training for the marathon but thought I wouldn’t be able to run due to my foot injury. I let him know that I needed him to help me finish and asked if he could meet me at mile marker thirteen to run the rest of the way with me. Phil was in his car, about fourteen miles from the race. I knew it would be a long shot for him to make it there in time, but to my surprise he was waiting for me in front of St. Patrick’s Church, just as we planned, to help me finish this journey. Phil is a good athlete but had not run more than a few miles at one time. But he ran the last thirteen miles with me, seemingly carrying me to the finish line.

Every time I hear the story of the four men who carried their sick friend to see Jesus, cutting a hole in the roof of the house and lowering him down, I think of my buddy Phil. I believe that because of his faith in God and in me, he was able to carry me through.

I learned a lot in this journey: how faith in God will sustain us through thick and thin, how God wants us to put our burdens and trust in him, and how we can be supported by our friends and family.

Tony

Think It Through

1. When you run, to what warning signals are you sensitive? What changes have you made because of these signals and monitoring devices?

2. How has God used others to keep you on track?

3. What Bible passages has the Holy Spirit used recently to convict you of something you should or shouldn’t do?

4. What can you do to better monitor yourself spiritually?

On Running

How do I lose water?

Runners lose water in a few ways. The most obvious is through sweat. Sweating helps cool the body through evaporation. Water is also lost in urine. As your sweat increases, your amount of urine will decrease. You can also lose respiratory water, that is, through breathing. All this water loss highlights the importance of hydration, especially during long runs and in warm weather.