Endurance!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely to us and run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

The Paris Olympics has been going on for two weeks, and we have had the pleasure to witness many examples of incredible athletic competition, dramatic finishes, strength, and endurance by these special representatives of our country. Everything from swimming to gymnastics, from volleyball to basketball, from track and field to soccer, shooting, wrestling, golf, and so many other sports have been exciting and shown the true qualities of endurance.

Endurance is defined as the power to endure a difficult process or situation without giving way. This is especially true in long distance sports that require not only speed, but endurance to win. The athletes pace themselves so as they approach the finish line, they can pull out all the stops, and use their reserved strength to cross the finish line. It is exciting to watch as athletes come from behind to win! We happened to be watching when Cole Hocker came from behind to win the Gold Medal in the men’s 1500 meter race! We could tell that he was pacing himself in order to get the burst of speed he needed to finish first!

For these athletes, quitting isn’t an option. Despite all the injuries, delays, and disappointments along the years of training, they are not content to sit on the sidelines while others pay the price to run the race. The realization that they can achieve something great enables them to endure.

Sometimes we feel that life is much like the athletes in the Olympics. We all have something which weighs us down and prevents us from giving life everything we’ve got. We begin to feel as though we are the only ones who suffer, but there have been so many people who have come before us that have suffered much more. Think about all the Biblical characters who were stoned, afflicted, tormented, tempted, and mocked and scrourged. One thing they all had in common was their faith in Christ. It takes faith and trust to run the race for Jesus and His kingdom here on earth.

Just like these athletes, it is hard to be effective when we are overloaded with weights. Athletes train an diet to strengthen their bodies and shed excess pounds in order to maximize their chances to win. It’s hard to win if they are overloaded with weights. Likewise, in order to endure, we have to put away all those things that weigh us down. Weights can be anything from health issues, to financial problems and everything in between. Our scripture tells us to “Get rid or every weight and sin that clings to us.”

As Christians we run the race daily to fulfill our God ordained purpose and give it all we’ve got! It’s one thing to achieve success, but it’s quite another thing to handle the pressures that go along with it! Having a finish line to look forward to enables us to endure. Jesus finished His race because He never lost sight of where He was headed, and because of that He could put up with anything!

The athlete is exposed to, physical pain, opposition and criticism along the way, and it serves to strengthen them for the competition they face. Just like these athletes, God will allow His followers to experience oppostion and criticism to strengthen our character so that when greater blessings and responsibilities come, we will be able to handle them. We can only win the battle when we have the passion to cross the finish line and finish the race.

Endurance is the power to keep on going in spite of difficulties. In our colloquial language, we would say things like “Keep on keeping on, Don’t give up, or Hang in there.” Endurance is the key that keeps us from giving up and letting go.