This is a Marathon

Saint Paul’s exhorted the Corinthians about correct posture on our faith. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Our posture is a posture of the one training to win a prize. When we focus on the prize, training is nothing, no matter how hard it will be.

Along the race, we will get tired, discouraged but at the same time we will get encourage and enjoying the race. So all in all, it’s going to be a roller coaster ride.

Excitement is not enough, because if excitement dies down what will happen? When we are discourage it will be easy to quit. And to tell you, there will be plenty of discouragement ahead. We cannot rely on our emotions, we simply cannot. In mission, we cannot afford to be emo. 2 Timothy 1:7 exhorts us, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

Our faith journey is a marathon. We need to train ourselves in order to finish the race. 

by aats