The life of faith is compared, in scripture, to running in a race. And this race we’re running in is more of a marathon than it is a short sprint. In other words, the race is won over a lifetime of faith, not just a moment. It’s those who learn to run slow and steady, with patience and endurance, who win in the end. For this, training is required.
Naturally you have some amount of strength, and that amount determines what you can do physically. All of us are limited in the amount of weight we can lift, depending on how our muscles have been exercised. In the same way, each person is limited in the distance he or she can run, depending on the amount of endurance that has been developed. A marathon is over 26 miles long, and no one just wakes up one day and decides to run. The only hope of winning, or even finishing a marathon, is the result of intense training and preparation.
It’s true spiritually as well. Depending on how you’ve been conditioned in your spirit, and the amount of endurance you have, will determine your ability to run until the very end. Sadly, many people run out of endurance along the way, and they fail to finish(13) their race. In the beginning they might posses great excitement(14) and feelings of passion, but that can only take us so far.
We all need endurance to finish what we begin, and to allow God to finish what He begins in our lives. The key to enduring to the end lies in where you find your strength. If you are looking to yourself, your will, or your ability, ultimately you will fail. If however, your learn to be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, you’ll find that in this race the secret to your success is in learning to be carried. This comes from continually looking to Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2
“…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Continue to keep your eyes on Jesus. Allow Him to carry you. It was because of the joy that was set before Him that He was able to endure, and that joy was you. And now by keeping Him as the joy set before us, we too can endure until the very end.
(13) Acts 20:24
(14) Mark 4:16-17
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