running well

I was in Shop-Rite last night and was supposed to be buying only water. But there, right at the entrance, stood a tower of Easter candy. Ten kinds of jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, Reese's, Snickers, and M&Ms in pastel shades... I mean, you know you can only get pastel M&Ms this time of year, right? And those bunnies are so cute! And the Reese's come shaped like eggs.... adorable! Only a couple more days, and then all the Easter candy will be gone for a whole year. Got to get it while I can! And hey, I exercised earlier in the day, so this stuff really was sort of allowed... at any rate, it wouldn't hurt me.

And I was reaching for the M&Ms when I realized--I did not spend an hour running on the treadmill so I could eat M&Ms! In fact, I spent an hour running because I have eaten too many M&Ms.

I have two big thoughts in here.
1. Jesus did not die on the cross so that I could indulge in sin, even cute little pastel-colored M&M-sized sins. He died because of sin. Therefore, because He has died to atone for my sin, I do not keep idly sinning by using Jesus' death and the resulting grace as some kind of excuse to make it okay. Romans 6 is how I'm seeing/understanding this.

2. We don't run (to use a Pauline expression) just enough to keep our bad habits/sins from really causing us harm. We are in a race, and we are running for the prize. (1 Cor. 9:24) This is a race that we must finish. And to do that, we can't be casual runners, running just to make an excuse for our appetites. That kind of runner will never win the race. Paul equates running the race with fighting the fight and keeping the faith; in other words, hard work and a disciplined lifestyle! The reward--a crown of righteousness awarded by the Lord Himself. (2 Tim. 4:7-8) What can compare?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1-2)