Words of Wisdom

Our Central Texas Summer has been the wettest I can remember in a long time. It has made my running a bit of a challenge. Not so much the rain itself; it’s the humidity - the
nasty cloud of humidity hovering over our fair city. Needless to say, it clouds my motivation. Recently though, I had the opportunity to run with my now 16 year old son. John wasn’t able to get away from his work so he suggested I take my son for a run with me. Neither one of us really wanted to head out; we knew the humid air would consume us as soon as we opened the door.

We were right. As a bonus, the heat radiating off the pavement complimented the thick air quite nicely. I told my son that he could run ahead of me if he needed to. Besides having to deal with the humidity, I didn’t want him to also be caught running in the neighborhood with his mother. He didn’t seem to mind. He stayed at my slower than his pace as we completed our first mile. After another half mile, I announced to my son that I was going to walk for a tenth. I expected him to keep moving ahead. The only thing worse than running with your mother is walking with your mother. But he didn’t. We picked up our gait for another mile and then I felt like I had to walk one more tenth. Not even my beloved Switchfoot serenade could keep me going. My partner however stayed right with me.

We were both happy to finish our 5K. As we walked back to our house completely dripping with sweat, I said to my son, “I feel guilty for having to walk some. I know Satan wanted me to feel like a failure and not be able to run the whole way today. I guess I let him win.”

Not really expecting a response, I was surprised when my 16 year old removed his ear buds, turned toward me and said, “Mom, there isn’t anything wrong with walking a little. The guilt is where Satan is getting you, not the walking.”

I’ve been pondering those words of wisdom for several days now. Guilt is an emotion that plagues me, sometimes for the silliest things – like walking during a run. Now there are times when a healthy expression of remorse is necessary. However, there are also times when we let guilt debilitate us and keep us from living life “to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV)

Take a look at Jesus speaking to Peter in John 21 beginning at verse 15. I always wondered why Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. It seemed a little excessive and annoying. But as I was listening to a CD by Christian speaker and author John Eldredge, he explained it in a way I had never considered before. Of course, Jesus already knew the answer. He knew Peter’s heart. It was asked in triplicate for Peter’s sake. Peter had a huge amount of guilt to overcome and Jesus really wanted Peter to get it.

Do you ever feel that way – guilty for letting Jesus down? Do you linger in feeling like a sinner and not claiming your prize of sainthood through Christ? (Phil 1:1 NIV) Jesus tells us to relax “…I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV) This summer, when the heat is on, let’s not dwell on our sinful nature and our need for a Savior; let’s dwell on our thankfulness that we already have one.