It is nearing the end of a very long winter where we live, and we were presented with the wonderful opportunity to head south to visit family for a much-needed, short vacation. We’re staying with family that lives in a remote area, and I have the pleasure of running on hot, sandy, deserted backroads. Quite a change from the cold temperatures back home! Out of the ordinary, Patrick decided he wanted to join me on my long midweek training run, and I gladly accepted his company for this eight mile run.
Shortly into our run, I realized that I was having a great time. It was wonderful spending that time with him, laughing, talking about God, talking about our future, talking about the high humidity! In the middle of our conversation, he calmly said, “Hey, Teresa, there’s a snake on the road up ahead.” I had been so relaxed and engrossed in our conversation that I hadn’t been paying any attention. I should mention that these hot, sandy, deserted backroads are the perfect place for the snakes of the South to sun themselves. Sure enough, there was a snake.
Notice he didn’t yell, “Teresa, look out! There’s a poisonous snake on the road! That thing will kill us if we get too close!” It was just matter-of-fact, “There’s a snake on the road.” Because of that, I wasn’t startled. There was no fear. We approached the snake and he proceeded to teach me about it. “Notice the color. It doesn’t have a pattern. Notice the triangle shape of its head. That’s how you know it’s poisonous. This is a water moccasin and they are mean. You don’t want to mess with them.” Then I stood back and watched as he skillfully removed it from our path. I wasn’t afraid. I knew that there was no way in the world Patrick would ever let that snake hurt me. Off we went down the road.
Again, as I’m relaxed and enjoying our conversation, not a quarter of a mile later Patrick again says, “Hey, Teresa, there’s another snake on the road up ahead.” Sure enough, another snake. Again, we approached the snake and he gave me a short lesson. “See the pattern on this one and that it has a triangular-shaped head, too? This is a timber rattlesnake.” I took mental note of it and then stepped back as he got the snake out of our path. No fear. I knew he knew what to do and that he would protect me. After the snake was gone, we carried on and finished our run. That was the most peaceful, enjoyable run I’d had in a long time.
The next day’s run, however, was quite different. Patrick opted out of this one and I was on my own, so off I went down that same hot, sandy road. I noticed that since I didn’t have Patrick with me, I was hypervigilant in watching for snakes. Every stick was a potential deadly threat until I was close enough to see that it wasn’t. I did come across two snakes, but because of what he had taught me the day before, I knew how to either avoid them or remove them. Despite the fact that I skillfully navigated around them, by the time I finished my run, I was exhausted. The hypervigilance I experienced had caused my five-mile run to feel more like 30. His presence there with me made all the difference in the world.
Those two runs can be compared to the “race” that we all run as individuals. Those who run alone are either unbelievers (haven’t accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior), or they are believers who don’t have relationship with God. I was that believer for a long time. God was always with me, but I chose to have Him follow me, not lead and guide me…or even run beside me. I kept him behind me, out of sight. My attitude was more, “Okay, God, I’m doing this. You can come along if you want to.” Then when those snakes appeared in the road, I didn’t know what to do. I had to figure out how to get rid of them on my own. Sometimes I got bit and sometimes I had to take a major detour to avoid them. One thing is for sure: The run was not relaxing at all. My life was a series of run, run, run! Look out! Snake! Now what? Ouch! Run. Repeat.
Even after I committed my life to Him completely in 2007, there have been times where He’ll tell me what the next move is and I’ll just run with it. “You want me to do this? Awesome! I’ll start by going here and doing this and then I’ll go there and do that.” That is called running WAY out in front of Him. When it comes to your purpose in life, the “what” is extremely important to know, but so is the “when” and the “how,” and if He’s not running right beside you, you’re going to get off track. When that happens, I find myself stressed out and exhausted because it’s all me and none of Him. And when the snakes appear in the road, that’s when I’m saying, “Okay, God. I need you to take care of this for me, and then you can slip into the background again. I’ll take it from here.”
Neither one of those scenarios create an ideal running environment, but when you run with Him, that’s when it gets good. With Him beside me, I can stay focused on Him. I can converse with Him. I can enjoy His company and the scenery as we go. I know that He will protect me and warn me of snakes up ahead in the road. When those snakes appear (and they will), He says, “Hey, Teresa, there’s a snake up ahead on the road. It’s called fear. This is what it looks like, these are its characteristics, and this is how you deal with it.” He teaches me these things from the Word, and then I stand back, meditating on the words He has spoken, and watch as He removes the snake from the road. Then off we go to finish the race.
This is exactly how it should be as you walk out your purpose in life. There is work that you have to do. Running is not always easy, and He doesn’t do that part for you. But as you run, you can relax and enjoy your race as you stay focused on Him, as you communicate with Him. You don’t need to be fearful of the snakes on the road because if you are with Him, He will show you when they are in the way. John 16:13 says that the Holy Spirit will show you things to come.
That direction might look something like this: “Hey, that person isn’t good for you right now. Don’t pursue that relationship.” “Hey, don’t take that job. It won’t be good for your family.” He’s already been where you’re going, so trust Him to know what’s coming.
When He does point out the snake up ahead, there is no need to fear. Simply stop and let Him teach you what the Word says about it. The Holy Spirit has been commissioned to teach you all things, so He can identify and deal effectively with any snake in existence (John 14:26). “Hey, that’s oppression up ahead. Let me show you exactly what it is and how to avoid it.” Your job here is meditating on what He’s showing you and getting that Word established in your mind. If you’ll do that, then when that snake rears its ugly head again, you can calmly speak the Word that you know, stand back, and watch it take care of the situation (Isaiah 55:11).
Your work is running the race He has designed specifically for you. That work includes studying, meditating, and hearing His voice. His work is protecting you as you run. If you are exhausted, then chances are He’s running behind you and not beside you. Chances are, you’re doing everything in your own strength. Chances are, you’re dealing with all the snakes on the road by yourself. If that’s the case, then it’s time to make a change. Invite Him to run beside you.