Uphill Battles

“In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.” (Psalm 18:29 NLT)

Running up a hill is much more difficult than running on a flat surface. This is due to the force of gravity which pulls us down to earth’s center. Cyclists know to change gears as they ride up hills. Runners, on the other hand, just ‘attack the hills’--which basically amounts to trying harder. Expending more energy may get you up a hill faster, but it is not efficient. Runners need to ‘switch gears’--be mentally focused, recruit different muscles, change posture, decrease stride length, and increase cadence. There are many hills in a long distance race; thus, efficiency of movement becomes critical over time. The goal is to finish well. 

The lessons of running can be useful in our daily lives. We all know how it feels to face uphill battles--mountains of adversity, obstacles, and opposition. As we try to scale new heights, the gravity of worldliness pulls us down. How we approach the climb is critical. We can either try harder, or we can switch gears. The latter is more efficient. Instead of relying on our own strength, we can access God’s power. We can change our posture, focus, attitude, and perspective. There are many hills to overcome in a lifetime, and with God we shall advance through every stronghold and finish the race well.