The Race Before You
I started distance running about two years ago. Before that, I’d do a three-mile run every now and again, but my training was primarily sprint based – you don’t need to run for very long on the baseball field. True distance running was somewhat unfamiliar. There’s been one piece of advice that’s stood out from all the rest – “run the mile you’re on.”
Having just completed my fourth half-marathon a couple weeks ago, this line has helped me through some of the tougher moments in a race. Thinking about the nine miles you have left when you’re on mile four isn’t helpful, instead, focus on running the fourth mile.
Throughout a run there are different things you need. Things I didn’t realize were necessary when I first started to extend my mileage. I didn’t know how hungry I’d get or realize how necessary water was (shocker, I know). As the training went on, I made adjustments. With a few races under my belt, I became a bit more prepared and began to learn what worked and what didn’t for me.
For example, miles one, six, and ten are when I use a GU pack. A little pick-me-up with carbs, amino acids, and some sugars. During a race, I make sure to stop and snag an electrolyte and water at every hydration station. Again, things I didn’t know I needed when I first set out.
The author of Hebrews tells us to “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” (Hebrews 12:1). Paul mentions, “train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8).
Believing in the Lord is essential for the salvation of your soul. Friend, that is only the beginning. There is a “race” that we find ourselves in. Your walk with God is like training for your first half-marathon, there are so many things that you need that you simply aren’t aware of yet. But God is faithful to reveal those things on the way.
See, as we mature in the Lord, we will be refined and grow in the same way a runner progresses in his training program. I learned lessons I wasn’t aware of at the beginning of my training plan when I ran my first 10k and I learned others when I ran my first 10-miler. Our walk with God, friend, is similar.
God is faithful to give us what we need when we need it. Often, that provision doesn’t come before it’s necessary. So, we will pick up tools along the way as we continue to run with the Lord. We will learn things we had no idea about when we first gave our lives to the Lord as we pursue godliness in our lives.
This is exactly what James was getting at when he says, “when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3).
In this “race” of life, we will face trials. There’s a reason for joy, because each trial is a new opportunity to stretch and grow our faith. You cannot become godly in a day. No, it takes a lifetime. You can’t run a half marathon in a single step, it takes time. Whatever trials you may find yourself currently in, “run the mile you’re on.” If we can set our minds on that, we’ll look up at the end of our lives having matured in godliness, walked by faith, all the while running through the finish line.
