"At mile 20, I thought I was dead. At mile 22, I wished I was dead. At mile 24, I knew I was dead. At mile 26.2, I realized I had become too tough to kill." – Unknown

A marathon is a brutal test, pushing runners through 26 grueling miles of both physical and mental challenge. As a non-runner, I can only imagine that crossing the finish line is the ultimate victory for most. What if we tackled our Christian walk with the same dedication as a marathoner, aiming to hear the Father say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."? Scripture suggests it's a fitting comparison:

• “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, NASB)
• “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1, NASB)
• “…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13b-14, NASB).

The challenge is that we are often conditioned to stop when we should persevere. Life is difficult and presents many obstacles, but scripture declares, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4, NASB) What a powerful scripture—the incarnate Christ living within us.

If we take the time to reflect on His Word and pray, we will find that Jesus Christ has provided everything we need to do His will and honor Him. This is a Selah moment, a time to pause and reflect. We run this race to honor Him, not ourselves. Honoring Him will never be easy—running a marathon never is. It requires grit, determination, and a willingness to go beyond what we think we can handle. It demands a laser-like focus on the cross and what it represents.

Once we see the cross as Christ sees it, we will not stop pushing forward. Paul reminds us to look "only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2, NASB)

Conversely, if we don’t see the cross as Christ sees it, we become overwhelmed with the cares of this world and live temporal lives that can never please the Father. The internet, television, and social media drive our thoughts and actions. A “like” on a post becomes more important than what the Father wants to whisper in our ear.

Let us pick up our cross and run the marathon until we "realized I had become too tough to kill."

EM