Have you ever considered how much your environment is affecting your walk with God?

In this episode of Running Our Race, we talk about the importance of recognizing the environments we place ourselves in, and what those environments are producing in us. Scripture warns us that “bad company ruins good morals,” but our environment goes beyond just the people around us. It can include the places we remain, the voices we listen to, the situations we entertain, and even the spiritual condition of the soil where we're trying to grow.

Through Psalm 1 and the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, we see the difference between being planted where we can flourish and trying to grow where our faith is constantly being choked out. And through the lives of the prodigal son, Jonah, and David, we're reminded that sometimes our greatest problems begin when we find ourselves somewhere we were never supposed to be, or leave the place where God called us to remain.

The prodigal son eventually came to his senses and realized he didn't have to stay where he was. Jonah ran in the opposite direction of God's instruction. David remained home during a season when kings went to battle, and what followed changed the course of his life. These stories challenge us to examine not only what we're doing, but where we are while we're doing it.

Reflection Questions:

• Is your current environment helping you grow closer to God or slowly pulling you away?
• What kind of “soil” are you allowing your faith to grow in?
• Are there people, places, habits, or influences affecting who you're becoming?
• Have you gotten comfortable somewhere God never intended you to stay?
• Is there an environment you know God is calling you to leave?
• Where do you need to become more intentionally “planted” so that you can grow and bear fruit?

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither." — Psalm 1:3

You can have a good seed and still struggle to grow in the wrong soil. Sometimes moving forward in your race means recognizing that the environment you're in is affecting the runner you're becoming. Pay attention to where you're planted, who you're running with, and whether your surroundings are helping you move toward God or away from Him.