“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Image: Marathoners during a training session, Source: Daily Nation
One of the critical skills which marathoners and other great athletes train for is endurance. They have a regimen for endurance training. It is not enough to be a great marathoner or a great talent you have to add endurance to the skill in order to breakthrough in that skill. Endurance is considered by Webster dictionary as the capacity to withstand unpleasant experience without having to give way or give in. At the basic definition it is the capacity to last or withstand pressure. Running and winning races requires endurance. For marathoners, they have to ensure buildup of lactic acid, it helps marathoners to have the right stamina, the right weight and fitness to run the race.
Similarly, believers in Christ need to run the race with endurance, some version refer to patience. The race of faith is a long race whose length is equivalent to believer’s life on earth. It has to be run with a lot of patience and care in order to build stamina and fitness to keep in the race. This is to be done by fixing our focus on Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfected of our faith. During the race the race endurance is required because the race comes with fatigue, pain, panting, thirst, which make the racing difficulty. Enduring makes winners because they withstand the pain, soreness, thirst and agony. They do not ley these discomforts pull them out of the race, they are so fixated on the prize that they do not feel the pain and the discomforts of the race. Likewise, we are exhorted to fixate our eyes on Christ in order to build endurance and patience needed to within the race.
