EP 33: Run with Endurance

The Bible has a lot to say about running with endurance, and the half-marathon I completed over the weekend really helped drive those truths home. I’m sharing those lessons (which you can read in the transcript below the show notes) in this week’s episode of Loving Life at Home.

Running with Endurance

Our family spent last week in San Antonio visiting our fourth-born who lives there with his family, then we swung through Fort Worth on our way back home to celebrate the birthday of our third-born and visit his family.

And while we were in Fort Worth, we ran – no, ran is too generous a word – we participated in the Cowtown Half-Marathon with our second-born who’d asked us months ago if we wanted to train for that race and do it with her.

So three of us did – her father and I and our youngest son, Gabriel.

Anyway, long story short, we didn’t get home until late last night, and were so sore and stiff and tired from the run, we went straight to bed, and I’m only now sitting down to record this week’s podcast.

So since that race is still on my mind, that’s what we’re going to talk about today. Because 13.1 miles of slow plodding gave me a lot of time to think and learn and reflect. And I want to share some of those thoughts and lessons with you.

Paul used running analogies a lot. In 1 Corinthians 9:24 he writes:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.”

Just to be clear, none of us were running in a way that would take home any prizes, although the stats told Doug he finished first in his age group. Which sounded pretty impressive until we realized I’d made a typo on his registration when entering his birthday, and they thought he was 94 years old. Oops!

Needless to say, he didn’t come in first. But neither did he come in last.

It was Bethany and I who brought up the rear. Only one little old man finished behind us. We passed by him around Mile 10 as he was resting at the side of the road. He looked about like we felt: plum tuckered out.

I’m sure he he’d fallen so far behind he was contemplating giving up, but when he caught sight of us still shuffling along, and so slowly, it gave him a second wind. So he struggled to his feet, fell into step behind us, and had no problem keeping our pace through the rest of the course. We didn’t lose sight of him again until the last two-tenths of a mile when we came in view of the finish line and stopped looking behind to make sure he was still with us.

But back to 1 Corinthians 9. Paul continues in verses 25-27:

“Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

That “training with strict discipline” is the stickler. Running a race takes grit. But training for a race takes even more grit.

Of the four of our family members who ran the Cowtown, Gabriel trained the hardest and most consistently. And – not surprisingly — he finished way ahead of the rest of us (partly because he is much younger and stronger, but also because he put in the work ahead of time and was consequently better prepared once the starting gun went off).

My husband trained less than Gabriel but more than his wife and daughter. And he finished long before we did.

Bethany and I consoled ourselves with the knowledge that, in God’s economy,

“The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 20:16)

Nevertheless, the important thing is, we all finished! (I’ll be sure to link a few photos in today’s show notes to prove it).

Six Tips for Running with Endurance

And, since finishing is exactly what we set out to do, we’re all so happy — and relieved! — to have that race behind us now. Which is the first point I want to impress on you: It’s important to…

1. Keep your goal in mind.

Hebrews 12:1-2 reads,

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

The first words of that verse, “Therefore we also” is referring back to chapter 11, which is sort of a hall of fame for the faithful. It gives accounts of old testament saints who maintained their faith through great adversity, trusting that God would be true to His promises. And the example of those saints that went before us should be an encouragement to us to keep on running with endurance and to remain faithful to our God and Savior, as well.

As Hebrews 10:23-25 reminds us,

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

Which brings me to my second point. We need to…

2. Encourage others along the way.

It’s interesting that at big races like the Cowtown Marathon, the streets are lined with spectators cheering and waving signs and offering water and Gatorade and sometimes cookies and other treats.

When my husband and I ran our first (and only) full marathon, there was a precious woman standing in the crowd about mile 15 holding out a huge mixing bowl filled with M&Ms to all the runners who passed by.

And do you know what? By that point in the race, it didn’t even matter to us that 5000 other people had already thrust their sweaty hands into that bowl before we ever got there, we just grabbed a handful with a heartfelt thank you and kept right on running.

For yesterday’s race, there were bands playing upbeat music all along the root, and folks dressed up in cow costumes ringing their cowbells, and lots of drink stations staffed by volunteers and even an Elvis impersonator who posed for a quick selfie with me and my daughter – we made an Elvis sandwich – as we trotted past.

So when I read in Hebrews 12:1 the part about our being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, it’s tempting to picture the angels cheering us on in life the way all those spectators cheered us on during our half-marathon.

But the word translated “witnesses” gives us a more accurate view of what the author really means by that phrase. It’s the Greek word martyres, which sounds just like our English word, martyrs. And that word probably does a much better job capturing the intent behind this verse than the idea of cheering crowds of onlookers.

The author is reminding us that we have a long list of believing predecessors who have gone before us – many of whom have given testimony with their own blood – and we should find encouragement in their example to take the torch of faith and purposefully carry it forward and pass it on to those who come after us.

Steve Green sings a song I love that beautifully embodies what I’m talking about. The lyrics are:

Isn’t that beautiful? And it has certainly been my prayer, especially with regards to my children. And I’ve told them as much. They know that I pray God will keep me faithful to the very end, and that He would take me home before he’d allow me to deny the faith or to do anything that would one of these little ones to stumble.

And I’ve always told my kids that — even if it means I die young — as long as I stay faithful until my dying breath, they should rejoice in the knowledge that God answered my prayer and that I’m at peace.

But let’s back away from my deathbed right now and get back to yesterday’s race – although by mile 12, it felt like those two things might be one and the same! Which is why my third tip is so helpful:

3. Run with a buddy.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us:

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.  For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.”

My running buddy for yesterday’s race was my daughter Bethany. There’s a very good chance I would’ve thrown in the towel before crossing the finish line if it weren’t for her sticking with me through the entire 13.1 miles. And the crazy thing is that she says the same thing – “Mom, I don’t think I would’ve finished if you hadn’t been with me every step of the way.”

I kept apologizing for slowing her down, but she assured me she didn’t mind and claims she might’ve hurt herself if she’d run faster. “Besides,” she told me, “This is a rare opportunity. How often do I get to have so many hours of my mom’s undivided attention?”

Which brings me to my fourth lesson:

4. Remember life is a journey.

This is something our family has always kept in mind when traveling: that the journey is an important part of our vacation, too. So whenever we take a road trip, we make lots and lots of stops along the way at museums and state capitols and national parks and historic sites and whatever else of interest we pass along the way. We also listen to audiobooks in the car and discuss them as a family.

Traveling this way means it often takes us a little longer to get to where we’re going, but we build lots of lasting memories with our children along the way.

And that’s what I did yesterday with my daughter Bethany. It took us a little longer to get to the end of the course, but we stopped for a photo at every mile marker and talked a lot along the way and took selfies with spectacularly dressed spectators and made a lot of great memories together.

So, yes, the destination is of undeniable importance, and we should keep the goal in mind. But we should never forget that the way we get to our destination matters, as well.

If my only goal was crossing over the finish line yesterday, I could’ve saved myself a lot of trouble and sore muscles and stiff joints and blistered feet by jogging directly to the finish line from my starting position and by forgoing the 13 miles in between.

But that would’ve disqualified me from the race because the route matters, too. The end doesn’t justify the means. We want to run the good race, and that means running with integrity.

Paul’s advice to Timothy is good for us, as well:

“But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.” (1Timothy 6:12)

There’s something else that should characterize our journey as much as faith, love, godliness, and the other qualities Paul mentions in this passage. We can find them in Galatians 5:22-23, 25:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.... If we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is the one who should be setting the pace for us.

Bethany was my running – or I should say walking – buddy yesterday. And Gabriel ended up sticking with one of Bethany’s co-workers throughout the race. She loves to run and is very fast, but was on call the day before the race and had been kept up past midnight doing a case that same morning, so she was happy to hang back and keep pace with Gabriel.

But Doug was on his own. He told me later that there was an older woman wearing an Irish kilt in his corral, and he noticed that if he ran, he’d pass her up, but if he walked, she’d pass him. So he tried to pace himself by her, walking until she was almost out of sight then running until he passed her up again.

5. Recognize slow progress is still progress.

As Elisabeth Elliot was so fond of charging her readers, we just need to “do the next thing.” That advice came from a favorite poem of Elisabeth’s which was written by Mrs. George A. Paull and quoted in a book by Eleanor Amerman Sutphen called Ye Nexte Thynge:

This reminds me a little of Paul’s words in his letter to the Philippians:

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

So keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don’t give up or grow discouraged. Just do the next thing, remembering as you do my last point:

6. You’ll have the rest of your life to say you did it.

This sentiment was printed on a lot of the posters spectators were waving at us along the way, but it’s true.

For years, my husband talked of running a full-marathon. Every January, he would go into training. He’d run three times a week, slowly increasing his distance, but every year it was the same: he’d build up to ten miles, then quit. He’d quit not because he was tired or because he was injured or because he had changed his mind about this particular goal. No. He’d give up training, because the longer distances were just so time-consuming, and he felt bad about being separated from his family for those long hours when his schooling and work required him to be away so much of the day already.

Still, the dream wouldn’t die. When he began training again in 2001 for perhaps the dozenth time, I suggested he might stick with it longer if the rest of us just joined him. That way, he wouldn’t need to choose between working toward his goal and spending time with us—we’d all be together anyway.

Doug was gung ho for the idea. Never mind that I could scarcely trot ten yards without getting winded; my husband, eternal optimist that he is, insisted my past 14 years of childbearing counted as “surreptitious training” and put me in prime cardiovascular condition. He encouraged me to start out by running only between every other lamppost, and it took me an entire month to build up to a mile. The older kids ran or skated or rode their bikes ahead of us, and we all took turns pushing the babies in a jogging stroller.

Slowly, slowly, we made progress. We stayed faithful. We stuck with it. After six months of training, we packed up our PowerBars and headed to Austin for the Motorola Marathon. I don’t imagine what Doug and I were doing could properly be called running—it was more of a 20-mile jog plus a 6-mile cool down—but we nevertheless managed to cross the finish line, hand-in-hand, before they stopped the clock!

I can assure you that those last few miles were by far the hardest. Our legs were shaky, our stomachs were empty, and our resolve was weakening by the minute. Had we spotted a taxi in that home stretch, we’d have been sorely tempted to hail it, but I’m glad now we didn’t. Instead, we just kept putting one foot in front of the other until we completed the course. Now for the rest of our lives we can say we finished a marathon—and nobody can take that away from us.

I don’t know what your particular “marathon” is – you may be dealing with a difficult marriage or intense persecution. Maybe you are coping with a terminal illness or raising a child with special needs. Or maybe you’re just trying to stay grounded in Scripture amid a culture that scorns it. To stay faithful amid a faithless generation. To live a life that remains true to the gospel.

Your progress may be slow and painful. You may take two steps forward and one step back. But don’t give up! Finish the course God has set before you, and you’ll have all of eternity to rest and recuperate and celebrate in heaven with Christ. To hear the words,

“Well done, my good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of thy master.” (Matthew 25:21)

And to say with Paul,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)