The Legs of a Man
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The following article has been excerpted from Called to the Wild by Christopher Lawrence.
The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
-Psalm 147:11
Endurance Athlete Kilian Jornet rockets up alpine peaks so fast that his times make even professional mountaineers look like the junior varsity.
A skyrunner, he bounds up thousands of high-altitude vertical in the mountains like a galloping gazelle, wearing the bare minimum, including trail running shoes and a light jacket.
On the Matterhorn, the wiry Spaniard smashed the FKT (fastest known time) by ascending and descending in only 2 hours 52 minutes. It takes the average mountaineer two days. He climbed Everest, the highest peak in the world, in only 26 hours, without using fixed ropes or supplemental oxygen. The mountain usually takes people up to a month.
History celebrates athletes like Jornet for their tenacity and trophies. And yet, as much as we revere them, God appraises us by a different standard. “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man” (Psalm 147:10 ESV).
It’s not that success or physical feats are wrong in God’s eyes, but he values the soul far above the body.
What pleases God is people who fear him, who respect and worship him—in light of his power and love.
They trust God and put their hope, or future expectation of good, in his “unfailing love.”
Instead of sculpting the strongest calves, we should exercise the muscles of our awe of God. For this is truly wise.
As King Solomon wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
Part of how this fear helps us live wisely is learning to think long-term. Pursuing God and people: these last forever.
How quickly we can get caught up in the moment, pouring all of our best efforts into things that don’t last.
Indeed, our culture often obsesses over fitness and health, and the next standout athlete. We often get caught up in this ethos, which isn’t all bad. Yoga, ultra-marathons, ski mountaineering—there is usefulness in keeping a body fit and functioning. Certainly, they can boost us mentally and help us focus on other pursuits.
“For physical training is of some value,” (1 Timothy 4:8) says the Apostle Paul, who no doubt witnessed the top athletes of his day in the Coliseum. “But godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
The difference is that godliness proves an eternal pursuit, while fitness is temporary.
Our bodies wear out, but fear of God and the gritty things he teaches us—we take these treasures with us into the next life. We learn to focus on what truly endures, compared to just being endurance athletes—or whatever short-term fix attracts you.
Few of us will become elite athletes, and even such glory is fleeting. Yet by knowing God, we get swept up in his greatness, sharing in his glory.
While top athletes come and go, learning to fear God, we find honor in him not just now, but for all eternity.
Question:
What helps you value what God values?
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to value what you value. Help me to honor you by caring for my body and enjoying your Creation, but to invest my best resources in my relationship with you. Amen.
From one Adventurer to Another
Called to the Wild is a 40-day journey filled with thrilling adventure stories and poignant Biblical meditations, through which outdoor guide and Cru campus minister, Chris Lawrence, helps readers overcome fear and self-doubt by learning to follow Jesus as their trustworthy Guide through life’s every adventure.
