“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Summer is always a good season for me to think about the importance of endurance.  Maybe it is watching the Tour de France and being totally blown away each year with the endurance that it takes to compete and complete that race.  Or, it is the build up of miles for a Fall marathon.  In this year, I am excited to watch all of the endurance events in the Olympics and see how the athletes prepare and race when the moment comes. Work is a marathon too.  26.2 miles is a lot like all of the year we work looking for a finish line.  Companies must sign up for the marathon or fear that they will come up short when a competitor continues to be there.  Endurance is about training, fitness, pacing and mental strength.  How many times do we sit down a year and think about where our business will be in 5-10 years and how we will get there, or more importantly, how are we readying ourselves to get there?  We would be best to always think in terms of a marathon to be run and be sure we are ready for the long run that is work and business.

Paul tells us to run with endurance, but not just run with endurance any run, but to run the race God has put before us.  Paul does not tell us the distance of that race, but we know that the race of being human does not stop and lasts a lifetime.  We have a marathon of faith to run, if we so choose to enter that race.  Let’s consider that each step we take, at home, at work, with purpose or for leisure is about the race and the finish line that God has set before us. Let’s think today about the different aspects of our lives that are either keeping us moving forward or setting us back and deal with each accordingly so that we may have the endurance to complete the full race and so with God’s favor!

Reference: Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Translation)