“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, 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 12:1-2, English Standard Version)

The Christian life is sometimes portrayed as a race in the New Testament. More often, it is spoken of as a walk rather than as a race. Being an old guy, I appreciate the walking analogy more than I do the race analogy.

However, I have run a couple of marathons. A marathon is more about endurance than speed. So, I appreciate the emphasis on endurance in the metaphor of the race in Hebrews 12:1. This verse and its surrounding context suggest that I ask myself some hard questions.

1. Am I committed to God and this race for the long haul?

The Christian life is not a sprint. No one achieves holiness overnight. In fact, no one achieves anything if that person is not committed to the long haul. I can testify to this personally: I’ve tried a lot of short-term diets. I always gain weight when I go into any eating regimen with a sprinter’s mindset.

The truth is that nothing worthwhile is a quick fix. Good marriages, good job skills, education—all these and many more—are a “long obedience in the same direction”, as Eugene Peterson wrote in one of his books by that name.

So, the pursuit of God and of godliness are not for sprinters. Instead, this pursuit is for people who are endurance runners. This is not because God is trying to torture or evade us. We need endurance in our quest for God and godliness because, apart from such endurance, we are busy running away from God.

2. A second question I did to ask is this: Is this the race I am supposed to be running?

This might sound too simple to even ask, but it is much more important than it might seem at first. When I ran The Flying Pig Marathon, the course was already mapped out for me. I did not have the option to run anywhere I decided to run.

Yet far too often when it comes to the life that is called “following Jesus”, I seem to act as if Jesus ought to follow me. “Here is what I’m doing, Jesus. Please bless what I have decided to do, even though I haven’t consulted you.” Now, of course, I don’t generally actually say this verbally, but my actions scream it out loud. The “race that is set before us” is not the race I set for myself.

3. A third uncomfortable question I need to ask myself is the following: Do I have a running companion? Better yet, do I have running companions?

Hebrews 12:1 speaks of “a great cloud of witnesses”, and chapter 11 has detailed some of the faithful men and women who ran their faith race with endurance. Now, they are in the stands cheering us on. But in another sense, they are also our fellow-runners. We draw strength from their races as we run the one mapped out for us by God.

And then there is Jesus. Jesus ran the race set for him and we look to him for guidance and encouragement. Furthermore, there are many verses in the New Testament that speak of Jesus being with us even after his earthly life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We don’t run our race as pious particles. We run with Jesus as our LORD, but also as our companion. And if we can’t run, we can walk. And if we can’t walk, we can crawl. No matter our speed, no matter if we are running or walking, or crawling, we can do so with endurance, knowing we can count on Jesus being with us every step of the way. His endurance with us and for us is also our endurance with and for Him.