Training

About a week ago my cousin’s husband Billy suggested that I should start training for the Savannah half marathon. I ran my first half marathon with Billy about a year and a half ago at the base in Warner Robins. It was amazing! However, after I finished I set my running shoes up and I didn’t want to put them on for quite some time! So to help me in my pursuit of my second race I enlisted the help of my husband. We decided to start training together last week for the race in November.

I say all of that to say this; the best thing about training is when I run I listen to podcasts. It is a few minutes where I am alone with my thoughts, no one can touch me when I run or bother me. The kids know to leave me alone when I’m on the treadmill. It is my own little secret place, this is usually where I hear God speak to me the clearest and last week was no different. My favorite podcast to listen to is the Hillsong Sisterhood podcasts. They are usually about twenty minutes in length so they get me through the most difficult part of my run. The one I started with was called Godly Contentment and wow did I ever need to hear this one.

This is my messy treadmill! 

There were two things in the podcast that really stuck out to me. The first was this; the speaker was talking about the three things that keep us from feeling content. The second was feeling a sense of entitlement. She said that entitlement causes us to feel like we deserve what we have. It causes us to feel like we should have things because we have worked so hard or because we serve so much. It makes us feel that people should treat us a certain way because of our title, because we deserve or are owed respect and honor.

This hit me hard! I have been in a place for awhile where I am waiting on God to answer some prayers and I have thought to myself I deserve these answers, I deserve them because I serve God, I am try my best to be obedient and I love God! I am entitled to this job or promotion or blessing. I forgot to remember that it is grace that Jesus offers. Grace by definition is receiving what we don’t deserve. Jesus’ grace offers us blessing and purpose not because of what I have done or who I am, but simply because of who He is and what He has done. In myself I don’t deserve a thing in this world.

In the second part of the message the teacher says “Godly contentment is not about your circumstance of your life but rather the circumstances of your heart”. My heart has been focused on my situation and the circumstances of my life rather than focusing on Jesus. Jesus offers us His life and in response He takes our lives in the mess that they are and extends grace and mercy that we cannot work for and we cannot earn.

How prideful of me to feel that I deserve anything from God. I am so glad that He still loves me even though I am constantly making mistakes. I am so grateful that God gives me so many chances to get it right. If you are feeling entitled today I would encourage you to begin to feel grateful instead for what you do have. Gratefulness leads us straight into contentment.

I love the way Paul says it in Phil. 4:11-14,
“I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”

Listening to these podcasts has helped me so much to grow and be challenged, I hope that anyone reading this would have a listen. The best part of about the Hillsong Sisterhood podcast is that it is completely and totally free on itunes! Another thing I have been listening to is the new Hillsong CD, Cornerstone Live. The title track Cornerstone is AMAZING!!!!

Have a great day!