Press On

“You ran 26 miles?” people ask in disbelief when they hear I’ve run a marathon.

“26.2,” I politely correct, because when you’ve run a long race, every single step counts.

They didn’t see me roll out of bed at dawn, lace up my shoes, and head into the brisk darkness to practice putting one foot in front of the other, over and over again.

Some days, jogging endless miles took little effort. Other days, every inch seemed impossibly steep, causing me to stumble. And while training had many obstacles, starting again after a fall proved to be the greatest challenge—and it wasn’t because my knees were bloody.

I began to question if I was even a runner at all.

But if I hadn’t pushed past the doubts of my calling, I would have missed the thrill of the finish line.

Weary friend, I know you’ve been running for miles too, and it hasn’t been easy. You’ve fallen and want to throw in the towel. Shame has told you that you will no longer qualify.

But as a fellow runner and frequent stumbler, I urge you to lace up those shoes again in Jesus’ name. Because God’s Word reminds us that the race we run has a prize far exceeding the mileage’s wear and tear.

Do you hear Jesus cheering for you? Then, get back on track and press on!

“…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1b-2).