Enduring Spirit

Me: Okay let's stop.

Also Me: Why? What's wrong?

"My legs hurt."

*scans body

"Your legs don't hurt. You're fine. You're tired. That's nothing."

"UGHHHHHH I'll keep going"

"You got this."

Sound corny? Too bad. That's my real life dialogue during my runs.

"My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing buy joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance."

Earlier this year while training for my half marathon, I continually read James 1: 2-3. I added the gospel classic"The Battle Is The Lord's" by Yolanda Adams to my running playlist. It came on right around mile twelve when I really needed it and I reflected on my verse.

As a lifelong athlete, I always think about endurance as a physical attribute. Endurance was always something to strive to attain through regular and consistent physical activity. Yet, this verse taught me that practice alone can not produce the endurance you need but rather those moments during the race when it is getting tough, there are aches and pains, and someone or something is about to beat you, that your endurance truly is built. Your practice and training are the prep work for the true tests of faith in life.

I can't believe how many times the Bible mentions endurance and how I never thought of it spiritually until I was preparing for a tough physical test. As someone of faith who struggles with my mental health, knowing that passing the tests in my life will get easier by continuing to endure is comforting.

"Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character and character, hope." -Romans 5:3-4

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get ride of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12: 1-2