TREADMILL HAMSTER

My husband and I sometimes go to the gym together on a Sunday afternoon to get some much needed exercise. There are a variety of options there, but I always start out on the treadmill. I am a walker, not a runner, so I adjust the speed and the incline to make a better workout. With iPod in place I begin my journey to nowhere, or so it seems. As I plod along to the music I feel as though I am a hamster spinning along on his wheel making no progress. I don’t seem to be accomplishing anything staying in one spot with no particular destination. Time moves slowly on this endless trip. I perceive my ultimate goal as going nowhere.

But then I begin to examine the instruments and dials on the front of my treadmill. There is an odometer recording mileage and a calorie counter to inform me that I am accomplishing something. I can set the speed of my walk as well as the incline, which enables me to make the journey as difficult or easy as I can tolerate. The machine measures my heart rate to let me know how in or out of shape my heart is. Looking at the treadmill in this perspective I see that instead of getting me nowhere, it is actually helping me with my ultimate goal of getting physically fit.

This leads me to start thinking on a more spiritual level. Sometimes it seems as though we are getting nowhere on our spiritual journey. It can be a difficult climb. But by spending time in God’s Word and seeking Him on an intimate level, we can keep a good pace and ease our struggles. We can lose the worry as we gain faith. God offers strength in every circumstance and healing for our broken hearts. If you are feeling stagnant and wonder what your purpose is, start checking the “dials and gauges” that God provides in His Word. It is full of wisdom and instruction. On the treadmill of life, our ultimate goal should be to get fit spiritually. In this coming New Year, be more than a treadmill hamster and “run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”

Hebrews 12:1b-2a (NLT)