“run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us” – Hebrews 12:1
All the runners run
There are many ways to run a race. We can run to win, or we can unconsciously run to lose. Are you winning in your race?
“seize the prize and make it yours!”
The Christian life is a race. Are you running well?
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Amplified Bible
24 [a]Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize?
Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!
25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a [b]crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].
26 Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing]. 27 But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].
“Think Long Term”
Here are some training tips – to winning the race.
Running a foot race with endurance is like running your spiritual life in Christ successfully. On his website, marathoner Mikula Thalmann advises runners:
“Success doesn’t come overnight. If you wanna get somewhere you need to work towards it for a long time.
“As I mentioned many times, having a running dream is one of the best ways to keep your motivation up over the years. Having a clear vision about where you wanna go is what drives you forward and defines intermediate goals that you can train for in different training blocks.” – Runner Mikula Thalmann, therunningmate.run
The Christian life endurance race 
The Bible gives us “a running dream”. Do you have it? Do you personally have “a clear vision about where you wanna go?”
Are you in training for the race Christ has put before you?
God’s Home Heaven
-Pic by KERO: Winning the race – with Christ at the finish line!→
Artist KERO – jumping into the ready arms of Christ upon arriving in Heaven.
Do you have a dream of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there? What is your dream of crossing the finish line?
We can say about our race with Christ what Mikula advises about running:
“Success doesn’t come overnight.
If you wanna get somewhere
you need to work towards it for a long time.”
Mikula advises runners – “Have you ever asked yourself one of these questions:
-
- Why am I getting injured in my running training all the time?
- How can I prevent those injuries
- How can I motivate myself to go running regularly?
- How much time do I need for running to achieve my goals?
- How can I lose weight with running?
- Can I run run with endurance – even until I’m old?
- How should I train in order to improve?
- How can I squeeze my training into a tight schedule?”
- Source: therunningmate.run
We could ask ourselves similar questions about our “race with Christ”. Translate these “foot running” tips – into “spirit running” tips to ask yourself. Tips for your spiritual race with Christ:
- Why am I falling into sin as I go throughout my normal day all the time? – Verse 27 of 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave” Read: Practicing Sin – Not Following Christ
- How can I prevent letting sin ruin my race with Christ? – Hebrews 12:1
- How can I motivate myself to go get into the Word regularly?
- How much time do I need with the Lord – to achieve my goals with Christ?
- How can I consistently be “stripping off every unnecessary weight and ‘the sin'”? – Hebrews 12:1. Read: Pick a Sin – Any Sin
- Can I run well into my older years? How can I finish well?
- How should I run with active persistence in order to improve my run with Christ? – Hebrews 12:1
- How can I squeeze my Bible reading and prayer (training) into a tight schedule?
In our race, Scripture encourages us to strip-off excess weight and entangling sin:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded
by so great a cloud of witnesses
[who by faith have testified
to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness],
stripping off
every unnecessary
weight and the sin
which so easily and cleverly
entangles us,
let us run
with endurance
and active persistence
the race that is set before us….”
– Hebrews 12:1
Pray and read the Bible (“learn God’s ways”)
How’ you doing with that? Spiritual “strength building” includes the reading of the Bible “devotionally” (or listening to audio Bible: biblegateway audio Bible app and others) and praying “without ceasing“. You absolutely can NOT be strong spiritually if you are not spending time with your Savior and Lord of your life. Get thirsty for God.
spending time with your Savior and Lord = praying time and Bible time
“Take and drink the water of life”
Be the “the one who wishes”.
…And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take and drink the water of life without cost. – Revelation 22:17
We must make Him the priority in our “wishes” (Revelation 22:17). To run well: get your will in gear, want it, take it, and drink. Drink from Him continually throughout your daily race.
Actively draw near to Him all day. If you were to “pass” suddenly, would you be thinking of Him upon arrival? Read: Me, When I Die…still in sin and Me, When I Die …forgiven.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” –James 4:8
Jesus said His water satisfies eternally. It will be a constant “bubbling within” (“welling up”).
“…the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”– John 4:10,13,14
As in running: no water – no strength. In this spiritual race He Himself hydrates us spiritually through the Holy Spirit. But we must “take and drink”. Take water at the water stations!
Water-up privately, with good Christian friends, at church, and online (like here: OhMyGodJesus.com). “Take and drink….”
no water – no strength
If we sincerely look to Him for strength and for focus – He will enable us to run well – and win. He is already at work within us, so dare to ask Him for help to persevere in the faith. Dare to think you can….
Ephesians 3:20
Amplified Bible (AMP)
20 …Him who is able
to [carry out His purpose and]
do superabundantly more than
all that we dare ask or think
[infinitely beyond
our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams],
according to His power
that is at work within us…
You can, at any time, anywhere, ask Him to change your life and give you freedom. He is the sustaining water of life – a forever life. – Source: Hope in Christ
FOR MORE:
Yes I can – I can stand strong
Unrestrained Sinful, Sinful Human Beings
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