It's a marathon, not a sprint! - originally posted August 2010

tart running – and never quit!...Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it.

Hebrews 12: 1b-2 (The Message)

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming

Dorie the Fish

In Hebrews chapter 12, Paul seems to be writing from cliché-ville. Keep your head in the game...keep your eyes on the prize...never give up...walk it off...practice makes perfect...don't drag your feet...he uses running a long-distance race as a metaphor for our life of faith.

This isn't a sprint, Paul says, it's a marathon. Our faith life isn't an intense but short run to the finish line, it's a life-long process. And he wants us to train, practice, and most of all, keep running – no matter what. Any of you who have tried to get better at something know that it takes some time – and it's really frustrating sometimes. Sometimes you want to give up; it seems like you'll never get it right. But if you stick with it, you'll get it!

But how do we do that? How do we keep our heads in the game when there are so many distractions, temptations, and most of all – when we keep messing it up? Paul's got instructions for that, too

First, he says, remember all those who have gone before. He gives a list in the very end of chapter 11 – and they ain't all saints, let me tell you! They're people who didn't always get it right but who believed that God had a plan for them and just kept going. When you're feeling like your faith isn't really all that strong, Paul says, go back to the Bible and read about all those folks – and especially about Jesus. "That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Hebrews 12:2, The Message)

Then, he says, imagine your cheering section. Not sure you have a cheering section? Think about your life for a second. Who tells you 'good job' when you've done something to be proud of? Who listens to you and talks with you when you have questions about the whole "God thing?" Who helps you to figure out how you can make a difference in the world? Heck, who drives you to church, service projects, Bible School, Confirmation, Sunday School??? That's your cheering section.

Keep your eye on the prize – the love of God through Jesus and the promise of eternal life. It's not something we can earn – we already have it. It's a gift of faith. But by keeping that prize – that promise – in mind, we can make choices in life that live out that promise and show that love to others.

And most of all, Paul says, this is a race with an infinite number of winners. So part of this race is to help each other so that we ALL make it to the finish line.

This week, I challenge you to sit down and read Hebrews Chapter 12 to further explore Paul's idea of life as a marathon. Find a translation of the Bible you like (I like The Message, personally) and go for it! It won't take long, and it's totally worth it. Think about YOUR cheering section, how YOU can help others reach the finish line, and what YOU need to keep going even when it's hard. And then go for it!

Have a blessed week, my friends!