By Dr. Kenneth Kuykendall
For most of the year, it is folded up in the corner of our basement and used primarily to hang bags of old clothes. I must admit, I had to clean the cobwebs off before I could set it up in the workout room. Although we purchased it many years ago it has only been used for brief periods of time.
Most of you probably have one, but if you are like me you do not use it very often. No, I am not talking about the Bible; I am talking about the treadmill. Although I am trying to muster up the mental strength to begin my daily workouts, I have found the “spirit is willing… but the gut is weak.”
I ran almost a mile and a half and then took a nap. Just before the nap, I thought about the connection between a treadmill and our spiritual walk with God. Just a few thoughts about treadmill theology:
1. It can be extremely difficult to get motivated.
Like any other discipline in our lives, we must work hard at staying positive and encouraged as we progress our relationship with the Lord. Oftentimes, the hardest part about walking with God is getting started.
2. We must get plugged in.
Without the proper power point, there will not be any activity. Spiritually speaking we must get connected; we must get plugged in if we plan on walking with the Lord.
3. Sometimes it feels like we are going nowhere.
Although I jogged for nearly 20 minutes, I literally stayed in the same spot. The Christian life can sometimes feel the same way. You may work extremely hard at your walk with God and feel like you are absolutely not moving forward an inch.
4. It pays off.
Even though I started pessimistically, I know that walking on the treadmill is good for me. It strengthens me. It helps my heart, my breathing, my mood, my quality of life- so does walking with the Lord!
Dust it off, plug it in, charge up some good music, and start walking.
Article submitted to IndependentBaptist.com