We’ve been tearing off chunks of Hebrews 12:1-3, chewing on advice it gives for people struggling to stay strong in faith, in the face of intense opposition.  The next morsel says this:

…and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  (Heb 12:1c). 

A simple trick for keeping the faith is to treat your life as a race.  Not a sprint; you’re not going as fast as you can, but more of a marathon.  People who are running a marathon adopt a mindset that gives them increased endurance.  They expect the race to be tough – that’s the idea of it.  Runners in a race stay within the prescribed boundaries of the course, and don’t wander aimlessly.  They have a finish line in their mental sights.

Runners don’t make up their own course, they learn the course that has been set and follow it.  One of the mysterious and exciting things about following Jesus by faith is discovering what course has been “marked out for you.”  God has no problem showing the course for those who are truly interested and willing.

Remember at the end of the Boston Marathon, as exhausted runners approached the finish line?  The bombs?  Several of those runners who were able to do so, picked themselves up and made their way to the finish line.  That is a picture of the attitude being encouraged for us, as we follow Jesus.

Here’s the list so far:

1. Remember those on our team who have set a powerful standard.
2. Pull up your socks and tie your shoes (Get rid of anything that would hinder your progress or trip you up.)
3. Treat your life as a marathon, with a course marked out for you.