inside out

It is getting colder, which honestly, is making running harder. It is harder to get out of bed, harder to make myself get motivated to go outside and harder to make myself run. Cold environments are just HARD.
However, I am learning to discipline my heart to run despite the environment. Truly, that is a discipline-to run in spite of the hardness is only something that comes through the training and subjecting of one's heart. As I run, I am conditioning my breathing as well. Increasing my breathing capacity by pushing myself to run further, harder and longer.
I am running, telling myself these things when I suddenly realize that I am not cold any longer. In fact, I have broken a sweat. I can see my breath as I breathe, but my body is no longer effected by the outside environment. I am startled by this revelation and begin to wonder why the outside environment and the cold is no longer effecting me when I am struck by the truth that as I am running I am producing heat. So much heat that the cold from the outside has no effect.
Wow, what a cool thought. We live in a cold world that would like to press it's effect on us as believers, making it hard to run after the things of the Lord. But as we discipline our hearts to chase after Him, we begin to put off heat from the inside out, counteracting the outside elements so much that they don't effect us. The cold is no longer hard for there is heat that is being put off from the inside out.
Wouldn't it be cool if we effected all of life this way....running after the Father in such a way that the world does not effect us because the heat from within, the passion from within, the journey itself counteracts what the world wants to try to stop. The outside elements have no effect on one who is running hard and fast to the Father.

ALL FOR YOU