Hitting your stride is that place where you feel comfortable. The beginning of any workout plan is always the hardest. The muscles in your body are resisting the effort. For runners, the lactic acid in your legs builds up and needs to be worked out. That pain is a signal your muscle is using to let your brain know it’s running out of energy. This pain signal typically comes well before your body is tired. Once you push through it, you will begin to hit your stride. Then you will experience the best part of running, the Runners High. It is that euphoric feeling that energizes every part of your life. We can experience a similar feeling as we hit our stride in walking with Christ. As we push through the early resistance, we feel closer to him, that in turn, affects other areas of our life. We want to get to the point where we are hitting our stride.
Psalm 25:10
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Establish a Rhythm
Hitting your stride takes time. The runner’s high doesn’t come until you have some mileage behind you. The same is true for our walk with Christ. At first, it is difficult to establish a rhythm, we don’t feel like we are making progress, but after a couple of weeks, it becomes part of the norm. If we miss a day, it feels like there is a void in our day. As we travel the path to a fresh start, we will become more aware of the unceasing love of God. This is greater than any runner’s high. The fruit of God’s love in our life is joy.
Be Steadfast
Hitting your stride takes perseverance. Be steadfast in your journey with Christ. Some mornings you will wake up and not feel it. Push through the fog and discover what God has for you. You will find his steadfast love and faithfulness. A daily walk that is filled with the joy of the Lord is greater than anything you can experience here on earth.