When was the last time you decided to go for a run without any thought of where you would go?
“That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I’d run to the end of the town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I’d just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since run this far, maybe I’d just run across the great state of Alabama. And that’s what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on goin’. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I’d gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on goin’. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I’d gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going.” — Forrest Gump
Though I think Forrest and the apostle Paul would agree about “stupid is as stupid does”, Forrest’s running philosophy would have driven the apostle Paul crazy. Listen to Paul’s challenge to the Corinthian church (and to us as well):
“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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air” (1 Corinthians 9:24-26).
Are you running aimlessly?
The whole idea of running aimlessly seems absurd. Why would anyone go to all the effort and exertion of running without some idea of where they would want to end up?
But people run aimlessly all the time, even in dress clothes or blue jeans. They live without a guiding purpose. They act without core principles or values. They change directions due to circumstances rather than convictions.
People who run aimlessly tend to not win the prize, whether that prize be a healthy relationship, a growing church or business, or a closer bond with God.
Maps may change. Life changes. Circumstances change. A compass, however, will always point to true north.
God is looking for people who know how to use a compass.
Are you running aimlessly?