PERSEVERING IN OUR RACE

On November 6, 1986, Bob Wieland crossed the finish line of the New York City marathon, completing the race in record time—but probably not in the way we think. Bob Wieland was the 19,413th and final finisher of the marathon, setting a record for the slowest time in the race’s history: four days, two hours, forty-eight minutes, and seventeen seconds. Bob “ran” the twenty-six-mile race with his arms, instead of his legs, since his legs were blown off in Vietnam. His purpose in running was to highlight the power of Christ as a believer, to test his conditioning, and to promote physical fitness. He said, “Success is not based on where you start. It’s where you finish, and I finished.”

I’ve never run a marathon, but friends tell me that somewhere around the twenty-mile mark, runners hit “the wall.” It’s a point where your body simply can’t continue. Know what marathoners do when they find they can’t continue? They continue. I can’t imagine how Bob Wieland continued, as he must have “hit the wall” numerous times. Even when the blisters on his hands and cramped arm muscles were screaming for him to stop, Bob pressed on, determined to complete his race.

Scripture often compares our life as followers of Jesus to a race. Hebrews 11:1 tells us to “run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Endurance is critical because our race is a marathon, not a sprint.

The starting pistol has sounded for our race in 2023. We have no idea what challenges lie ahead. But Jesus is with us, providing the strength to continue. Twelve months from now, we’ll be that much closer to our prize. Like Bob Wieland, we must never give up!

As Paul was nearing his end, he penned these words in 2 Timothy 4:7-8. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Like Bob Wieland, we’re not required to finish in the top ten, or even the top ten thousand. We only need to finish. Start running, focus on Jesus, and don’t stop. In the end, he’s all that matters. 

Principle:  Never give up in our race as followers of Jesus.

Ponder:

●       What obstacles seem to trip you up in your Christian race?

●       What commitments can you make in 2023 to press through these obstacles?

Pursue: For a deeper dive, study 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a blessing to know you’re running right beside me in my race. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you as we run together in the year ahead.

Check out my books Thriving in Quarantine and Thriving in Troubled Times on Amazon. Here are the links: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BGDW2NV     

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