Runner's High

Recently as I've been trying to up my amount of exercising in anticipation - maybe preparation is a better word - for this mud run on Sat. I've had a lot of thoughts about God and exercise and action and sacrifice. Some of it has been jumbled and some of it has not been, so here's an attempt to put it a few thoughts together. The college group and young prof. group at church have been going through James recently and it's been very challenging. I've been thinking about this stuff off and on all summer.
I am not a runner at heart. I don't enjoy it. Last night as I ran the longest maybe that I've ever run at one time, I kept wondering, "At what point does the runner's high come?" At one point I thought I was experiencing the high, but then I realized it was just that I was running downhill after going up a super steep one. Maybe, I thought, if I could experience that high, I would be more motivated to run further more often. Then as I was slamming my lead-weight feet on the road and gasping for breath, it came to me that even though I don't have a good feeling towards running, that doesn't change the reality that running is good for my heart - both physical and emotional. In fact, the more I thought about, it in between thoughts of "What am I doing?!? I hate this! Why did I agree to do that mud run?", I thought about how exercise has the potential to be an incredible expression of submission to God. It is more than a symbol, though. The act of running for me and pushing myself past what my nature desires is submission to and dependence on God's power. Then I thought about how running is submission, but how that act is also representative of the kind of action that God calls me to in other areas of my life. Sometimes, probably most times, submission and obediance to God and what he plans for me will be the most painful, illogical, emotionally difficult courses I will ever have to say yes to. The guy leading the study on James made the point that God is more than willing to give us wisdom when we ask, but that we need to be sure that we are not double-minded and unwilling to go through and receive the wisdom that God may be ready to give us. He also said, "God does not mold our character without our consent." I'm still thinking about that one, but I really think it is line with what James teaches. Our participation in the molding of our character by God is where asking and action and perseverance come into play.
All of this is to say that submission and sacrifice by definition are going to be easy to practice, but God is faithful. And it probably isn't what would be classified as "runner's high", but I was feeling pretty good and rewarded when I finished running for 39 long minutes.
James 4:7-10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.