Receive Encouragement

Receive Encouragement

Thus far, when we’ve discussed the marathon experience, we’ve seen the start, the competitive stage, and the serious stage. The next portion of the race is the encouragement stage. At about twenty miles or so, runners are exhausted—feet sore and blistered, legs aching, eyes burning, and lungs bursting. But having passed the point of no return, of quitting, they know that somehow, some way, they will finish. That’s when runners feel camaraderie with others who are experiencing the same struggle. Oftentimes, complete strangers, running, limping, or walking at the same pace, will decide to run together, encouraging and motivating each other to the finish.

As with the other marathon stages, this one parallels life. At some point, not always but usually in the older years, we hit the wall of adversity. Then someone comes alongside, serving, listening, affirming, counseling, and praying—and we gain strength and courage to endure. We can also be encouraged by seeing or recalling the examples of people who have successfully navigated the same troubled waters. That’s what James was doing in this passage, referring to Job: “We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy” (James 5:11).

Reading the stories of our brothers and sisters in Christ who have run the same path and have made it through can be a great encouragement. We’ve already highlighted the first few verses of Hebrews 12 a few times, but listen again to verse one:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

The “huge crowd of witnesses” refers to our great heritage of faith, including all the spiritual giants mentioned in the previous chapter and so many others, right up to the present. The writer is saying that knowing that these men and women faithfully ran the race should motivate us to do the same.

The Runner

Marjorie needed to lose weight; she knew that for sure. Dieting had helped a little, but the doctor said that exercise would be best. “Why don’t you try running?” he suggested.

Never having had any interest in sports, Marjorie was intimidated and fearful, but she decided to try. At first, she ran and walked a few blocks. After a couple of months, she was shedding pounds and running a mile, though it was tough. After a year or so, she added a mile . . . and then another. Then the unthinkable—a few years in, she announced to her husband, Dan, that she wanted to run a marathon . . . and she did.

So inspired by his wife’s dedication, desire, and accomplishment (he knew the pain she endured in training and in the race), Dan decided to try for a marathon. Although Dan had played high school football and basketball, he had never run long distances. And at six foot four and 235 pounds, he seemed too big to make it 26.2 miles . . . but he did.

Breck couldn’t believe that his buddy Dan would even try to run a marathon, much less finish. So when Dan told him about the experience and showed him the medal, Breck thought, If Dan can do it, so can I. His goal was to run the marathon the next year, maybe even with Dan. When Dan agreed, they trained together, pushing each other through the rough patches . . . and Breck reached his goal.

Chrissy, Breck’s sister, had laughed when she first heard about his goal. He’s too lazy to do that, she thought. So she was shocked at Breck’s dedication and determination, and even more surprised that he finished and had the blisters and stories to prove it. Inspired by Breck’s accomplishment, Chrissy started running and now runs every other day . . . with Marjorie. They’re planning to run a marathon this year—together.

The Race

Each of those individuals was encouraged by someone else’s example—someone who persevered, endured, experienced hardship and pain, and made it through. But that’s running. We also find examples of friends who have fought through depression, achieved a lofty academic goal, conquered a severe illness, reinvented themselves in their careers, reared physically or developmentally disabled children, survived a failed marriage, recovered from bankruptcy, and more. These examples encourage us to keep going, despite incredible odds.

But the greatest example of suffering and endurance is our Lord himself. Return again to Hebrews 12: “Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up” (verse 3).

Paul also turned the spotlight on the Savior:

Though [Jesus] was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)

The Result

Wherever you are in the race, be open and ready for encouragement—from others who will run with you, from the great examples of others who have run and finished the course, and most of all, from Jesus. Every temptation you’ve faced, every pain you’ve felt, and every struggle you’ve endured, he has too. What an example! What a Savior! And here’s the best news: He’s running with you.

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

My Story

I grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa, where every student was expected to participate in after-school activities. So I had the chance to try all sorts of sports, from cricket to swimming to track. But I excelled most in team sports like soccer, volleyball, and field hockey. My family returned to the States when I was a senior in high school, and I studied that year in a small public school in South Carolina. I was anxious to get involved in a sports program there, but they didn’t offer soccer, and they sure didn’t offer boys volleyball or field hockey! I didn’t even attempt football or baseball. I tried out for basketball but quit before the coach could cut me from the team. The only sports that remained were golf or track. I decided to go for the latter.

I had never been a star athlete at my school in Zimbabwe, but I enjoyed running and had been jogging in the mornings for several months. Now, with some training from my coach, I began to improve. My races were the 800 meters and the mile. I did best at the mile. For the first time in my life, I began to win some competitions, and my times were improving almost every week, going from a six-minute mile to five and a half to just above five minutes.

The day came for our first major competition: the Regional meet. That meet would decide who would go on to Upper-State and finally to State. I remember the feeling in my stomach before the start. And I remember how, just as with every other race, I scanned the track and imagined in my mind at what pace I would run each of the four grueling laps. My family was there in the stands ready to cheer me on.

The gun sounded, and the pounding of feet echoed the beating of my own heart. The first lap . . . I managed to stay with the top runners. The second lap . . . a few stragglers started falling behind. The third lap . . . going strong but wondering how long I could keep this pace. Then into the fourth and final lap . . . just one runner ahead of me. And I felt complacency, that my tired body is doing the best it can just to keep up, so why try to win now?

But then I heard a voice--no, a yell--from the stands on the far side of the track. I knew the sound well, having heard it many times before--at soccer games, cross-country events, track meets: Dad cheering for me at the top of his lungs. I knew the rest of my family was cheering too, just not as loud. And in that moment, as I rounded the corner for the last two hundred meters, I said to myself, “Well, I guess I better give them something to cheer for.”

I left my halfhearted attempt behind in the dust of the track and dug down as deep as I could. I focused straight ahead and pulled hard toward the guy in front of me. As I gained on him, I could hear the cheers become louder and wilder. The rush of excitement and determination fueled my legs and allowed my body to forget its pain. Fifty meters from the finish line, my competitor lost his strength and I sprinted past, crossing the finish line in first place!

That race is forever etched in my memory, the race when the support of my family helped me abandon mediocrity and my feeling of inability and enabled me to reach for more than I thought was possible.

Mark

Think It Through

1. When you were at the stage of the race where you were tempted to become complacent, who came alongside to encourage you?

2. Who has played the role of encourager in your life?

3. What have your friends and family done to encourage you?

4. In what ways has Jesus’ example given you strength and endurance?

On Running

What should I look for in a sports drink?

First, you should look at the amount of carbohydrates. The drink should have 5–10 percent carbohydrates (8 percent is ideal). More than 10 percent carbohydrates will slow down the uptake of glucose (a form of sugar for energy). Also, check the pH—if the solution is very acidic (for example, orange juice), it will slow gastric emptying and delay the body’s absorption of the needed nutrients.