Marathon Mentality

Marathon Mentality The Lord is teaching me the value of endurance. I must admit that for most of my life I either quit what I started or more often than not I wouldn't even try believing that failure was certain. For example, in the past if I had more failed days than success days I would just give up the diet altogether. The same held true for my spiritual walk. Once I decided to read the Bible in a year I would give up entirely once I got a few days behind. Giving up when I failed or things became too difficult was so much easier than enduring through the failures and trials. But, according to James 1: 2-4, perfection is obtained not by a lack of failure, but by enduring in spite of the failures. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Have you made a goal this year, whether spiritually or in another area of your life? Endure, my friend, endure. Stay in the race, stick to it no matter what your failures, no matter what your set backs, no matter what your obstacles, no matter how you feel and this time next year you will be further down the road than you are right now. My son is an athlete, a runner to be specific. He trained most of 2007 for his first marathon. For months he endured rain, cold, heat, humidity, sickness, injuries and in spite of everything he continued to run, never quitting. Two days before the race we were together and as we were discussing the race I said, “David, I hear it is supposed to be really rainy and cold for the race. Are you bummed out?”I will never forget what he said with clear determination, “Mom, I didn’t train for the weather, I trained for the race.” I stared back at him as I pondered that profound truth. In other words, he gave no consideration to the weather, to his comfort, to his health or to any other thing…he had just one goal: run the race and finish the race no matter what. I have determined to run the race God has set before me with endurance and my goal is simple: keep running until I finish the race, until I see His face and until I hear those words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”