Habits of Hope: Monday
Monday March 1, 2021
Created by Pastor Drew Tucker
1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
Devotion
I loathe running. Just hate it. I find it among the least enjoyable activities that people choose to do. And I’ve felt this way since I was a child.
Yet, as I got older, I found that one way I felt holistically better was through regular cardio. Physically, mentally, spiritually, relationally, across my whole being I feel better if I work out on a consistent cycle. So, starting in high school, I began to ride an exercise bike for about an hour every day. Depending on my intensity and the kind of bike, this usually results in 14–17 miles of riding every time I ride.
When Paul, in 1st Corinthians, uses the image of running a race, he certainly is thinking of competition. I’m not trying to beat anyone each time I step on the bike, but despite the lack of competition, I am pursuing a prize. The prize I seek is not only physical wellness, but mental stability. As a person diagnosed with OCD, depression, and anxiety, riding the bike each day reminds me that I’m worth the investment, offering counterevidence to depressive thoughts. The release of energy reduces my anxiety. And the routine puts a healthy spin on my OCD.
This daily habit is one way that I reset my body and my mind so that hope can flourish within myself. That won’t necessarily work for you, though it might be worth a try. What the process of learning to love this habit showed me is that, just because I can’t stand one form of a thing — cardio in this case — doesn’t mean there’s not a habit that’s right for me. Sometimes, it takes trial and error in order to find the right race to run in order to earn the prize we seek.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, help us to find hope in this weary season. Amen.
