Today I woke up to a muggy cool morning. 56 degrees and 96 percent humidity. Not great, but not too terrible for running. But in a few hours it will be 77 degrees. Too warm. So I was looking through my dresser drawer for shorts.

My laundry basket was full because I actually ran three times this week! Yay! But my drawer was less full , at least of shorts that still fit .

So I was rummaging through the stuff, yes it’s a mess, and felt a pair of shorts that I’ve never worn. They’re Avia spandex bike shorts with a side pocket for your phone. I bought them , but then I thought they were too tight so I just stuffed them in the back of the drawer . Well I decided to try them again today and , lo and behold, they feel good!

So I’m about to go for a run. But I was thinking that this is something we do . We acquire things that we think will look on good on us, but then we try them on and they feel a little constricting , so we push them back .

Like Jesus. People want to be saved from Hell, so when they hear the good news of the gospel, they accept Jesus. But then when they find out more about being a Christian , they feel like it’s a little too constricting , that the Christian walk puts a damper on their freedom and lifestyle, and prevents them from moving where they want to go. So they push Him back into the bottom of the drawer. They go back to their old ways.

But unless you put Him on, actually unless you truly get to know Him, abide in Him, obey the truth in righteousness, you will not find out that he actually gives you more freedom and more peace and more joy!

The real Jesus is better than any perfectly fitting pair of shorts . He is actually part of you . He sends his Holy Spirit to live inside you so that you will be filled with the knowledge of his truth , be protected from the darkness in the world, and able to withstand the temptation of the devil that “looks good” but is actually designed to destroy you.

So return to Him. Don’t leave him in the bottom of the drawer. He’s waiting for you . He is the living and loving God who knows you and wants a relationship with you, not a list of dos and don’ts. You can trust that he will fit. God bless!