Daily Devo
Running the Right Direction
By: Keefe Wilson
Monday, December 22, 2025
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
In the 1929 Rose Bowl, a player was given the name "Wrong Way Riegels" because of a mistake he made. He scooped up a fumble, but in the confusion, he spun around and started running toward the wrong goal line! He ran 69 yards before his own teammate chased him down and tackled him on the 2-yard line. Then he told him; "Roy, you were running the wrong way toward the wrong end zone!" Humiliated and sobbing in his locker room at halftime, Roy was convinced the game was over. Then his coach yelled at him, saying: "Get up Roy, it's only halftime. The game isn't over!" In the second half, Roy played the best game of his life, and it earned him All-American honors.
As Christ Followers, we must understand that we are in motion spiritually—we are either getting closer to God, or we are moving further away from Him. Like Roy, the question is, are we running in the right direction?
In 2 Timothy, Paul says we should run in two different directions: fleeing evil and pursuing righteousness. But fleeing doesn't mean slowly walking away; it's a sprint! And fleeing evil isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of wisdom. For instance, when Joseph ran from Potiphar's wife in Genesis, he wasn't afraid of her; he knew she had evil intentions, and he didn't want to dishonor God.
Like Joseph, we must learn to flee from anything that threatens our spiritual focus. Things like temptation, pride, or physical and emotional distractions that may drain our devotion to God. But running away from sin isn't enough; we must run towards something greater. That's why Paul told us to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. When we pursue those things, we are running in the right direction!
Maybe you're realizing that you've been running the wrong direction... Like Roy Riegels, maybe you're feeling guilty about your mistakes. If you've been chasing sinful things, lost your focus, or drifted away from God, don't beat yourself up, we've all been there. But like that coach said at halftime, "The game isn't over!" Jesus wants us to "Get back in the game." Through repentance, Christ offers us forgiveness and a fresh, new start.
But remember, each day you must choose which direction to move. One way will draw you closer to Christ, the other will pull you further away from Him. Run in the right direction, run towards Christ! It's never too late to change your direction!