There’s nothing quite like race day.
You’ve already done the homework and there isn’t anything more you can do to prepare.
You lay out your carefully chosen running clothes, all the way down to your lucky “race day” socks and safety pins for the bib. Your race belt is stocked with hand selected and previously tested food. The water bottle is filled with the right amount of electrolytes. Your body is rested and properly fed in the days leading up to the big day.
Waking up in the predawn hours, without fail you feel a sense of hesitation.
Why are you doing this again?
Do you really want to push yourself that hard?
Did you train long enough?
What if you don’t finish?
Despite the doubts. You push forward.
Lining up with all the other sleepy-eyed runners – you look around and size up the competition. On the surface, you tell yourself you’re competing against the person in the mirror. Deep inside though, you can’t help but wonder who you may beat across the finish line. That competitive nature pulses strong through you and it’s what keeps drawing you back time after time.
When the gun goes off, you follow the plan. Pace yourself, watch the mile markers, eat your food at the planned places, remember to hydrate – and to be ready to start kicking it up a notch at mile 13.1. You are running a good race and feeling strong, this could be your day!
Halfway through you start picking off runners who are slowing down, the ones who full of confidence took off too fast in the first half, or who in the excitement forgot to eat. You’re feeling energized and begin to pick up the pace – you start to imagine finishing even stronger than you had anticipated. You focus your thoughts on crossing the finish line.
Mile 22 to 23 begins the true test of mental fortitude. Fatigue is more than setting in, yet you are determined to finish well. If only you can get your mind and your body to cooperate!!
And then it happens … BANDITS!! In running, bandits are the people who sneak into the race usually towards the last few miles without ever registering. Sometimes their intentions are noble, maybe to help a struggling friend make it to the finish line. They jump in and with fresh legs run beside the weary, cheering them on.
Most often though, bandits seek to enjoy the benefits of racing without paying the price. They come in running strong, not carrying the sweat of the last 23 miles. They run on cramp-free legs and the sight of them casts shadows of doubt on the unsuspecting minds of the runners who truly paid the price to run.
You begin to think…
How can they be so much faster? I don’t think I can finish.
They are so much stronger than me. What am I doing wrong?
Why am I even here? This is definitely my last marathon.
They’re so young. It’s time to hang up my running shoes.
And so it goes – you were running a good race who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7)
In everyday life “mindset bandits” even though built in our minds, are nonetheless very real. We see them on our social media feeds, we watch them on reality TV, they even sit beside us at church on Sunday looking so put together. They come in the form of perceptions of people that we relentlessly compare ourselves to. They create facades of life that we eagerly buy into as reality. They seek to show life in only its most glorious form and allow us to imagine that no hard or negative experience has ever befallen them.
They post about leading a “blessed” life, while you are fighting in the trenches every day. By following them, these mindset bandits unwittingly start to cut in on your best race. Instead of following God’s truth for your life, you start wondering if maybe their way is better, easier. They cast doubts into your mind, and gradually you start deviating from the race and the path that you know God has put you on.
These are the mindset bandits, cutting in on you and stealing your race!
How can you defeat them? Simple. Know and acknowledge that they exist. Call them out into the public eye. Make them pay the price of registration and watch as they come up short on cash. When you get tired of training and preparing for your race, and the work gets hard and monotonous, just know that it’s easy to be distracted by the perceived instantaneous success of others.
I started being purposeful with my “Be Still” time, two years ago. To be honest I’ve had a few
meltdowns since that time, but they only take p
Some who seemingly just “jumped” into the ring and won the prize with little effort! This is a lie that our imaginary “Mindset–Bandits” want you to believe. You are so much stronger than this! Afterall, you have trained and are fully prepared to run this race.
Your prize is designed specifically for you by an all knowing, all powerful God who has been coaching you to win from the very first workout! Keep your eye on the prize. Know that there will be mindset bandits who will seek to cut in on you and keep you from obeying what you know to be true! Don’t let someone who has never run a mile in your shoes steal that from you. Focus on YOUR race!!
Now go! It’s time to cut the tape, cross the finish line, run your best race. Leave these mindset bandits behind in the dust of your imagination.
lace when I’ve allowed myself to get off track.
The truth remains, if we want to grow, if we dream of living out our full God-given calling in life we must balance the equation between DOING and BEING. Only by practicing both with purpose and intention will we ever be able to lead a life worthy of our calling. Go, BE STILL and let me know what amazing benefits it brings to your life.
