I Got Caught Skipping Track

When you’re working out, have you ever noticed how the same people are usually there when you go?

There is a guy named David who walks on the track when I’m running the track and I’ve talked to him once before but last week when I showed up on a Thursday afternoon to run, David stopped me and said “I haven’t seen you here in a week, where have you been?” and I thought… “dang someone noticed I hadn’t been running!” so I had to be honest with him and I replied “I have not ran in about a week.”

David replied “I work hard everyday at my job and I make sure I still come and get my walk in. It’s not good to be skipping like that Bryant.”

I got caught! I was suprised but also thankful that David even noticed that I had not been there in a week. Sidenote on my running…. I’ve worked so hard over the past couple months to get my miletime down to 7:10 which is about what I was running in high school. Doing this required me to go literally multiple times a week (a lot of times with my friend who also loves to run, thanks Abbi) but for me to skip, I noticed it this particular Thursday when I couldn’t even do a mile in 8 minutes.

Anyway… after I had this conversation with David which ended with me asking him “do you go to church anywhere?” because I had to ask him a tough question since he asked me one 🙂

It got me thinking… when I skipped running for a week, my mile time went down! I couldn’t run the 7:10 that I had been doing just a week prior. My performance was declining slowly all because I wouldn’t go run. (I feel conviction writing this 🙂 )

Running to quiet times

Just like my running worsened when I didn’t run, I’ve noticed if I miss a day without having a quiet time, I usually have a different attitude about that day. My quiet time is my daily time to go to the well and be filled up by Jesus. It’s my time with him to listen and be filled with peace.

When was the last time you had a quiet time?

Someone once said to me, “I just don’t feel close to Jesus, it’s like He’s not with me.” and I asked them “When was the last time you had a quiet time?” There answer was “Not in months.”

Is that you? One reason you may feel attacked so much by the enemy is because you aren’t going to the well. One reason you don’t feel at peace could be that you are not giving Jesus the opportunities to fill you with peace. Also, the reason you may be making unwise choices is because you aren’t going to Jesus daily and asking Him what you should do.

Honestly, not having a daily quiet time is one of the most dangerous things we can do as believers.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Those verses telling us once we go to Jesus and pray, then we will experience peace. Apart from Jesus is a life filled with nothing but questions and chasing after things to make us happy.

When we have our quiet times or “our time with Jesus” we can clearly see ways we need to depend on him more in our lives. In a quiet time not only will you experience peace in Jesus but He’ll guide you in life.

What does a quiet time look like?

My quiet times look different from time to time. Sometimes I sit down with my journal to document prayers I’m praying for and promises that God has made me. I love to document ways that God has intervened in my life and taken care of me. Other times I have my Bible and I ask Jesus to lead me to scriptures I need and most of the time He does. Then there are times that I don’t have neither my Bible or my journal, it’s just me and Jesus talking and I pause and wait.

What does your quiet times look like? Whether you call them quiet times, prayer times, devotions or whatever, I genuinely want to know what it looks like for you. So comment below!

I have friends who best connect with God when they are in the outdoors so that’s where their quiet time is. I also have friends who connect to God best when they are singing so they worship. You can use the Bible App for devotions, other curriculum or a devo/prayer journal. However you best connect to God, make your quiet time your #1 priority for each day.

If my running story hasn’t clicked with you yet, think of your quiet time like one of the pastors I look up to said: “Everyday we need Jesus. We are all like transfer trucks that haul gasoline to gas stations. We can go for a day, but we empty out. We have to go back to the station to keep being filled up.” – Pastor Robert Morris

Thanks for reading, I’m off to the gym!