God's Coaching #165

God's Coaching #165

In 490 BC, a Greek man named Pheidippides ran 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, the capital of Greece. The reason? To announce a remarkable victory for the fledgling Greek city-states over a vastly superior Persian army. After giving his report, Pheidippides immediately fell over dead. Or that’s how the story goes. Although historians for centuries have debated the authenticity of this account, it has inspired one of the most enduring athletic competitions in the world—the marathon. In 1896, the organizers of the first modern Olympics, which were held in Athens, staged a 25-mile race over what they believed was the route that Pheidippides had run nearly 2,400 years earlier.

At the 1908 London Olympics, British officials lengthened the race to its current length of 26.2 miles. The marathon is now a world-famous event. Hundreds of marathons are held annually in the United States alone. In fact, the world’s largest, the New York City Marathon, typically draws more than 100,000 runners each year. In 2008, Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie set the men’s marathon world record in a lightning-quick time of 2::0359. Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe set the women’s record in 2::1525 at the 2003 London Marathon. Pheidippides would be proud!

What’s the Score?

The marathon is a difficult race that tests the limits of human endurance. It takes months, if not years, for competitors to train their bodies to withstand the grueling physical toll it takes to race more than 26 miles. In 1 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul describes Christianity as a long race. Like a marathon, the Christian life requires lots of training, discipline, and hard work. Just as a marathoner can’t reach elite status without thousands of miles of training runs, a Christian can’t be truly effective without consistently reading the Bible, praying to God, and going to church.

All of this training isn’t just for the short term. Marathoners often complain of “hitting the wall”—a phrase used to describe the point when their body feels like it’s shutting down. The best runners push through the pain and keep going. Christians must do the same. Even when things aren’t going well, we must stay obedient to God and persevere in our faith. Remember, there’s a wonderful prize waiting for all believers at the end—eternal life and blessings in heaven!

On the Ball

Take a run at your school or local park. While you’re running, ask God to help you race to win the prize!

Coach’s Comment

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 1 Corinthians 9:24