Written by Guest Contributor, Stephen Bernau | October 31, 2024
I have always loved running. I remember watching my older brother and dad running and fervently wishing I could be as good as them. As soon as I could compete in track and cross country in high school, I was captivated. I became obsessed with racing and doing the best I could.
My running career has developed in many ways in the nearly two decades since then. Yet I tend to get caught up in looking at the selfish parts of my passions—maybe you can relate. Running has contributed to my over-competitiveness; takes time I could have used to serve others, and, on days with big workouts, saps my energy and makes me less present with family.
However, my most recent marathon training challenged me to consider looking at my “selfish hobby” as a way to serve others. A friend asked if I would run the Chicago Marathon with him this year. I said yes, but I was unable to get in the normal way, and the only other option was to raise money for a charity. I expected to feel good about giving back, but I mostly wanted to be able to run the marathon. I was not expecting the process to have a profound impact on me, but that is exactly what happened.
Raising money helped me to remember that I can serve others through my passions. It reminded me of a mantra I learned through my running career and have now taken on for my life, “Do not put limits on what God can do with you.” Knowing I was part of something bigger than myself made this marathon different from the others I had run. I knew that no matter the outcome, my purpose had already been accomplished, regardless of my time.
As it turns out, my marathon did not go as planned. An injury from training popped back up at mile 15, and I had to jog for the remainder of the race. This was not my first race hampered by injury. However, my response at that moment was a first. Instead of beating myself up about not accomplishing my goal, I showed grace to myself knowing that countless kids across the world had clean water because of what God did through me. At first, I supported this charity solely because of what I could get out of it, but going forward, I doubt I will ever run another marathon without supporting it. Why doubt what God can do with me?
God used this marathon to help me realize that we can choose how to view and use our passions. We can look at them as selfish things to accomplish our goals, or we can find ways to serve others with them. What are some of your passions that you view as selfish? How can God use those to serve His purpose? Dream big- the sky is the limit for what God can do with you!
Bio:
Stephen is a middle school teacher at Christ Community Lutheran School in St. Louis, MO. He had run three marathons before Chicago without supporting a charity but plans to run all of them going forward with a charity. He is passionate about inspiring the next generation of Christians.