Pacesetter

Kelvin Kiptum was one of the fastest marathon runners in the history. He was set to break the two-hour barrier for a marathon in London. Sadly, his life was cut short in a motor accident in his homeland before he could achieve this monumental milestone.
Kelvin ran at an average of 21 kph in a marathon. This pace was fast by any standards and truly a human feat! This was a pace he’d try and maintain sometime speeding up, but this was his winning pace.

The writer of Hebrews[1] leant into this idea of setting a pace when he or she wrote:
 
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. -  Hebrews 12:1-3 
 
If our walk with God was a race, it would be a marathon not the 100m. We need to learn to find the right pace where we can maintain what Eugene Peterson called in his book 'A Long Obedience In The Same Direction’[2]. 
Somehow though there are times at which we travel at other states of pace. We can either travel at fatal pace which is where we can find ourselves in burnout or worse. This can be from taking on too much, or simply too many emotional hits. Fatal pace can be when we are so busy that our productivity outcomes become our master.
The opposite side of this pendulum comes when we have reached fatal pace and need to pull back. The tendency is to pull back – right back in which we find ourselves in inactivity.
Strangely both areas are marked by shame. Shame in not contributing inactivity or shame that our overactivity has taken us away from the things in life that matter to us.
Somewhere in the middle is something called ‘Sacred Pace’. This is the area we see Jesus ministering in.  Activity yes, but also disciplined rest and taking time away when needed.
In scriptures we see nine accounts when Jesus took the time out. Took himself away from the crowds and disciples to spend time with the Father. He also rested; took time away when he was tired, when he’d been ministering to others, and time away when he was grieving. Jesus time away suggests to us that this was captured in scripture for good reason. In three years, Jesus launched a movement that would change the world and he had twelve guys to teach – well make that eleven, one didn’t quite get it.
To do this he took regular time away, Jesus built into his daytime with the Father. He wasn’t going to squeeze God into his day, he was going to organise his day around the Father. If we are to receive the great joy of loving God and being known by Him and to Him then we need to ensure we make time to spend with the Father. Relationship happens in proximity. God’s best for us isn’t a long – distance relationship – that would be selling us short. He ensured by sending the Holy Spirit that we would have instant access to the Father who sustains us more than physical food.
Travelling at Sacred Pace requires of us to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit like Jesus did when led into the desert. It requires of us time with God – to prioritise listening to God to hear his love and instructions for us. God’s desire is to use us in His plans for His kingdom. It's a privilege to be called by the King into His service.
Scared pace requires of us to give ourselves time to heal after injury. If you’ve ever damaged a leg or arm or had a major surgery, you will know the importance of resting but not immobilising. The same is true when we experience loss, grief, abuse, or relationship breakdown. Like an injury we are wounded but emotion injuries aren’t visible but are also very real. That why sometimes we can be taken by surprise when an old emotional injury causes us to limp years after we had it.
Jesus took himself away when the shocking news that his cousin John had been executed. Jesus needed to grieve this great man of God’s passing. Even though he knew where John would be. Grief was something Jesus experienced in full. The shortest scripture in the bible simply reads:
 
Jesus wept – John 11:35
 
Jesus takes himself off with the disciples so he can have some time to grieve. 
 
Scared Pace isn’t an ideal that can be described on whole, each person is created with differing capacities. The greats of our faith all came to a place of having to realise that to travel at a pace sometimes requires adjustments to stay the course. So, like Saint Paul we can finally conclude our days with the statement I have run the race, I have fought the good fight. 
 
Dave Maharey

[1] We are unsure who wrote Hebrews, it contains a lot of grammatical stylings and differences that would exclude Paul as the author, but some have suggested Barnabus or someone equally of knowledge of the Jewish scriptures and customs and how Christ fulfilled the old covenant and gave the new.  [2] A Long Obedience in the Same Direction – Eugene H Peterson 1980.