Christians are called to run a specific race of life, to strive for and towards the will of God and His goals for our lives (see Hebrews 12), and it is no short sprint, it is a distance run. This requires specific endurance and discipline, and those things need to be built up over time. While we have help from God Himself, He does require some willful participation on our part.
In my own limited experience with physical running as a recreational exercise, I’ve found it’s not always going to feel good. I’ve found that it takes some willpower to push the limits of your physical ability to go further, and that willpower can wane when you hit a hill or if it’s too hot and sunny outside. But if you push one bit at a time, it’s a little easier. My goal might be to go a mile in less than 17 minutes and to run it more than I walk it, but sometimes I need to break that into smaller pieces. Just pass one more mailbox. Just get to that lamp post. Just run five more sidewalk squares.
Sometimes we need to do that with life. The race is long, but by God’s grace we can get to the finish line. And just like physical running, the more regularly you do it, the better you become and the easier it gets. Just like physical running, it’s more enjoyable with a buddy, which is why God runs alongside you and why He puts other Christians there with you.
Keep going, one more step at a time. Before you know it you’ll have another mile behind you!
Related:
Running the Race
Carrying Less Weight