Isaiah 63:17
O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
If you read my previous blog post, you would know that at the start of this year, I was in a bicycle accident. And that not by my strength, and not deservingly, I suffered a relatively small amount considering the circumstances. I could start pedalling on an indoor spinning bicycle that my family had lent to me about two weeks after the accident, as soon as my knee could bend enough to complete one full pedal rotation.
One month later I ran the inaugural Pass2Pass 25km trail run. An extremely beautiful route, that was closer to 28km with approximately 1200m of climbing. Somehow it went really well and I managed to finish second behind an extremely talented runner and had an average pace of 4:52min/km over the 28km.
After the accident I was extremely focused on getting back into good shape, I would pedal on the spinning bike every chance that I got. While I was pedalling I would use the time to listen to sermons or do running-related research. After about a week of this, I could finally go and run again. And I tried my best to put my newly learned knowledge into practice. Training started off very slowly. I was only able to run 200m intervals at the speeds that I was used to running 3000m repeats at just a few months earlier. But little by little my body remembered how to run, and I was enjoying it as much as ever, maybe even a bit more. As I now understood a little bit better the privilege that it was to be able to run. For I could very well not have had this ability anymore.
Then came the Pass2Pass race, which I told you about. Then the Maxi Autumn Nights 12km in Jonkershoek, The Fernkloof Berg & beach 25km, The Noordhoek Superbowl 21km and the Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge 21km. And all of the races went really well.
During this time, the memories of the accident were still clear in my mind. Some of my wounds were still busy healing, especially the one on my left arm. Because of this, my mind was occupied with questions about the accident. It was not why it had happened, or why it had happened to me. But, why was I saved? Why was I saved the night when I was born and my lungs had collapsed? Why was I saved so many times during my life when things could have easily meant the end of my earthly existence or at least my health? And now this accident. Why? What do I have to do here on this Earth that is so important that I should be spared so many times?
But now I have realised that it is a beggar's question. It is a beggar’s question because I am poor. Poor in knowledge and faith. Poor in love and conviction. Poor in grace and service. For I was saved a few thousand years ago when JESUS died for me on the cross. And therefore I cannot think that this life has been saved for any reason other than the reason I was saved all those many years ago when JESUS became flesh. And why none of us have any greater reason to be alive or is more special than any other person. All of us as Christians have only one great commission.
After the first couple of races that I had run at the start of this year, I set my sights on the Sky running series. Four races, each a distance of approximately 25km with 1500+ meters of climbing. I was in very good shape after the races in the first part of the year and had a plan to train extremely hard for the Sky running series, for I wanted to compete for the win. I had multiple weeks where I ran over a hundred kilometres, I structured all of my training sessions as well as possible according to my knowledge about training. I was disciplined. I made sure to eat healthy (I always do my best), I went to bed early and did special recovery sessions.
Everything went as planned, till one day when I did a 26km training session where I ran hill intervals and accumulated a total of 1600m of elevation gain. But I had done the session in shoes that I had won at one of the races earlier in the year. These shoes were nothing like the shoes that I was used to running in, but my original shoes had a lot of distance in them by then and I was unsure if my feet would hold up for the session. Yet I disregarded one of the most common rules in running, to not do a big training session in unfamiliar shoes.
Sure enough, I developed an injury in my foot. I tried to manage it for a few weeks to keep on training with a high volume, but during one long run, my foot started to hurt very badly when I was atop a mountain.
I adjusted my stride and shuffled down. But because I had run down with such an unnatural gait, I had caused a small muscle, sitting deep beneath my glutes (bum muscles), to spasm and tighten itself into a knot. This caused significant problems, and after many weeks of dedicated training, I had to hang up my shoes for two full weeks, knowing that many fruits of the hard work that I had devoted so much time towards would not be harvested. I also missed the first race in the Sky Running series.
Then came the day of the second race.
I was looking forward to a good day in the mountains and everything started off pretty good till the point when I slipped on a wet wooden platform atop Table Mountain and fell into blister-bush. I got a pretty bad allergic attack but managed to finish the race. Although the latter part of the race was appalling and hard to enjoy due to the allergic reaction.
The third race of the series also started relatively well. I did not feel my best on the first big climb but managed to be in a good position and enjoy the downhills. But then, just before we reached a flat section that would lead into the second major climb back over the mountain, my toe caught on a rock and I flew forward down the hill and fell with my knee against a rock. It was 3km away from the aid station, and I did not know if I would manage to cover even that distance. But, I picked myself up and slowly started to go forward again.
I strongly contemplated that I would pull out of the race once I got to the aid station, for my leg was hurting and I was by no means in a competitive position anymore - so why risk it to injure myself even more? But in the time that I started running again, I was reminded that my result did not matter all that much, what mattered was that I finished the race and that I could find peace and joy even amidst the suffering. That is one of the great things Christianity teaches me. Though I am a stubborn student.
In some way I got back over the mountain, 800m of elevation gain and loss later I arrived back at the finish. And I truly enjoyed the rest of the race, even though I did not run as fast or pain-free as I would have liked.
Call it coincidence or whatever you like, but both of these accidents happened at approximately 9km - the same distance into the race with 16km left to run. Naturally, my mind started to ponder on that fact. And I realised that just as I fell at basically the same distance in both these races, I am stuck falling at the same place within my faith.
I have been a Christian since I can remember. I was basically raised in the church, and I truly consider myself fortunate because of it. But I had grown so accustomed to hearing about GOD and how HE came to earth and dwelled among men (ponder on that for a moment!) so that we can be reconciled with HIM, that I did not see the distance between my life and the life of HIS earliest disciples, not to mention the life of my Master. Religion made this incredible, indescribable piece of history into something common. Something that I so seldom truly valued and something that I too many a time take for granted. But is it religion’s fault, or is it just me?
If I truly want or accept JESUS as my LORD, my life should be different. It should have been different since many years ago. How do I thank the LORD that HE is still patient with me. Because, yes, my heart rebels against this world but how slow am I also in obedience to the LORD. For we can not just despise this world and then fail to listen and act upon the LORD’s instruction. What good does it do if in my heart I desire to throw the earth off my back and please GOD, but the world does not praise HIM any more because of HIS works that I allow to happen through me?
Inside of me, I have an ache. I do not want to continue living my life as I am doing. I do not want to live a worldly life. I just want to work for GOD even if it means that I should say goodbye to many or all of my dreams. But my life is still full of vanities, hollow practicalities and void entertainment. Even though I have tried my best to remove that which is not necessary for my journey to the Celestial City, I still find myself wasting time.
You see, some look at the ocean and proclaim that the seas are mighty, but how foolish is that path of thought? For did the sea do anything to be blessed with such roaring power? No, it is God that is mighty and gave the waters its power. One should look at the seas and give the praises to the Lord. For that is why it was created as powerful and magnificent as it is. So much so, that none but One Man could ever have controlled it - Jesus. The seas are simply fulfilling its duty, it is simply roaring of the greatness of the one and only GOD, with one purpose: to let the rest marvel at its Creator. To let the rest stand in awe of Him. To let its Creator be glorified by all who can see it. This is true throughout creation and can also be said of the stars and the mountains - it should be said over us too.
My favourite quote, for many years now, has been, “Unless someone cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it is not” – Dr Seuss, from ‘The Lorax’. GOD had cared enough about me and you to descend from Heaven down to this filthy wretched place. HE cared enough to become flesh like you and me and undeservingly suffer more pain than we can ever bear. HE cared enough to be slain as a lamb, while HE was innocent, and pay our penalty; for we have all broken GOD’s sacred law and have a penance to pay (we, however, can by no means pay our ransom). We are full of sin and unable to enter into communion with HIM in our wretched state till we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.
And here I am. I care about those who suffer, I feel a new crack in my heart every time I see someone who is poor and suffering or when every night I think of those who have no roof over their head amid a storm. But I do not care enough to give up anything for their sake. I enjoy my evening in a cozy house, I fill my belly with delicious and good quality food and still my conscience with a few heartfelt prayers where I ask forgiveness for my iniquities of the day and ask the LORD to help change my heart from rock to flesh so that I can love HIS children more.
Although I may be sincere in my asking and in my wanting to change, why don’t I? Why have I continued on the same path for so long, and do I not change? Why, although in my heart I know that I have to do more, am I not doing more to love those people around me who are truly suffering? (For there is no excuse, GOD equips those who are truly willing to do HIS will - Hebrews 13:21)
Jesus calls us to take up our cross. A cross was not used to crucify a part of a person such as only an arm or only a part of their leg. No, it was the whole body that would be nailed to the cross and that would be left hanging there to die whilst in the most excruciating pain. Whereafter the body would have normally been taken down and be thrown in a ditch outside of Jerusalem. There the body would have fallen on hundreds of other lifeless bodies that had been crucified before this one and serve as nothing more than fresh food for the crows. (excruciating – stems from the word crucifixion. A word was invented, for no word was able to describe what a person went through during crucifixion.)
I struggle because I am more than happy to crucify this part, or that part, of my life as long as I get to choose what it is that is nailed to the cross and whilst I can still have a say over most of my comings and goings. I struggle because - and this is the painful truth - there are things in this life that are dearer to me than my relationship with GOD.
I struggle because I simply do not care a whole awful lot.
You see, I fill my time with comforts and supposed important things. I train and train and train to run my best, supposedly "for GOD" I say. I study and try to get good grades at university. I go to church and spend purposeful time with the LORD at least a few times per day, not to mention the countless times that I approach HIM during my days. But I still manage to use a good portion of my time to seek rest where it can not really be found.
Even if I were to be a slave for Christ, toiling for HIM would provide me with more rest and rejuvenation than anything the world can promise me (Matthew 11:28-30). But it takes such a long time for me to realise that these sideshows are useless. And then all of a sudden, the time that I have available to rest is so little once I am at the LORD’s feet, acknowledging to HIM how sorry I am for not coming to HIM first.
We are, however still living in this world (1 Peter 2:11), such as when Israel was exiled into Babylon and GOD said to them that they should still cultivate the land and be fruitful. I am not saying that we should abandon all tasks. But that we should not serve the gods of this world as Israel fell into the trap of pagan worship. We should serve the one GOD, the only true GOD. And we should despise the things of the earth, the things that steal our time and that do not help to strengthen GOD’s kingdom here on earth. And we should care for one another.
We should care a whole awful lot!
In the time that I was writing this blog, I went through the last 14 books of the New Testament, many parts I went through multiple times. I would read in the evenings and listen on the Bible app in the mornings and afternoons. And I truly believe that the Bible is the word of GOD, it is how HE speaks to us.
In the books that I read and listened to, I was astounded by the number of times that we are explicitly given the directions to care for one another. I took note of every verse that I felt had spoken to me about this matter. And O how clear the Bible’s instructions are for us to live by. However, even though I have heard many of the instructions before, they are not yet etched into my heart so deeply that I cannot help but live by them.
I compiled many of these verses and will list them now. If you have quickly read through my blog to this point, I beg you to slow down now. I would be happy if you do not read any of my words, or forget all of them, but only read and internalise these words that will follow.
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James 1:13-15
And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.
Hebrews 12:14-15
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
James 1:21-27
So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 2:12-13 (the law that sets us free is grace, we then also must show grace…)
So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. (read also Matthew 18:21-35)
James 2:14-17
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
James 2:26
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
James 3:13
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honourable life, and doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
1 Peter 1:13-17
So prepare your mind for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favourites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”
1 Peter 4:1-3
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
1 Peter 4:7-10
The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
1 Peter 4:17-19
For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
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These are just a few of the verses that stood out to me. If I am honest, I almost jotted down every single verse that I had read so that I could include it in this blog. And therefore I want to spur you on to go and read the letters of the New Testament. For the Word of GOD is written much more perfectly than this blog.
In these verses, I have been humbled. I have newly discovered meaning behind words that had come to me last year, a prayer stating: “LORD, make my fear for YOU, greater than the fears inside of me.” And how do I fear that the LORD’s great patience will run out on me. For it is clear that my actions show how little I actually care about the lives of the suffering; otherwise should the community surrounding me not be in a much better state than it is?
I am not saying that we should help the poor people in the community to have nicer things and be able to do things according to their desires. But I am talking about the love that is shown to the weak and the poor. Love that can change a person’s situation. This help is not to enable the poor and weak to live according to their desires as we so often do, or to give them one or two tastes of the ‘sweet life’. That is not how we should live nor should we help others to live in that way or make them desire that way of living. It is to allow everyone to experience GOD’s love and peace and live together without dividing barriers as a knit-together family. Where everyone has enough, and nothing more than they need. Where everyone has their sense of humanity given back to them, and can believe that they are a cared-for child of GOD. Where everyone serves the LORD and not themself, their desires, or any other false god.
We as Christians were saved because GOD cared a whole awful lot. We do not do good works to be saved. No, we should want to do good works because we are saved by the precious love of CHRIST. Our lives should make the world stand in awe towards GOD.
But how do we achieve this?
After the two races, I decided that I would be better off with a coach or mentor. Because I am making many mistakes in my training and racing, even though I have relatively a lot of running experience. The final race of the series went much better, and I did not fall. But this was because I had stuck to what my coach had said to me before the race, even when it had felt that I could and should go much faster on the first long climb of 1300m, I stayed within the boundaries that he had given to me. And on the final downhill, I just enjoyed myself, running blisteringly fast with enough energy to concentrate and get home safely.
These passages of the Bible are like the rules for us to live by. And the Bible is full of them, pertaining to everything under the sun. And just as I enjoyed my race much more and did not fall when I stayed inside the boundaries, so life is much more fulfilling and joyous when we live by the word of the LORD.
But we have to desire the best outcome and have enough respect and reverence for our Teacher, JESUS, to muster enough self-control to see HIS will through. And that is just it, we have to desire to enter into Heaven and live with our LORD so much that we cannot stand living in this world in the state that it is in. For if we do not want to serve the LORD here on earth and show our love to HIM by helping HIS suffering children, we will not enjoy serving the LORD in Heaven one day, and the LORD will surely not force us to stay with HIM for an eternity if that is not our desire. For in Heaven, we will all do what we should do here on earth, which is to glorify the name of the LORD.
So, strive to live holy lives. And pray that your heart will have only one desire, to wholly serve the LORD.
Me on the climb up from Franschhoek to the top of Du Toit's peak in the Mont Rochelle nature reserve during the Final race of the Sky Running series.
This is the end of my post but here are other verses that spoke to me that you can go and read:
Hebrews 6:7-8
When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.
Hebrews 12:4-6
After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
Hebrews 12:28-29
Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.
Hebrews 13:15-16
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Hebrews 13:21
may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
James 2:19-20
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
James 2:24 (we are saved by faith in Jesus, but that must change us to be proven legitamate/true…)
So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
James 3:17-18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
James 4:3-6
And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:13-17 (there is an urgency… Also 1 Peter 4:7-10)
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
James 5:19-20
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
1 Peter 1:2
God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
1 Peter 2:1-3
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
1 Peter 2:11
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.
1 Peter 2:16
For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
1 Peter 2:21
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
1 Peter 3:1-2 (this should be true for all Christians…We should live godly lives)
In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by observing your pure and reverent lives.
1 Peter 3:12
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
1 Peter 3:16-18
…Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
1 Peter 4:11
Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.