As we approach the season of New Year’s resolutions, many will endeavour to make running a regular part of their weekly rhythm. Running is not a new phenomenon. The apostle Paul’s letters are filled with running imagery, which he uses to teach us valuable lessons about the Christian life.
Everyone seems to be running. Social media is saturated with running influencers who talk us through their training régime, diet, and their overwhelming range of running technology. Apps like Runna and Strava have become multi-billion-pound businesses, attracting a large number of loyal users, who often feel like their exercise is somehow fraudulent if it has not been recorded. I must admit that I, too, have been somewhat sucked in by the hype, unable to go anywhere without my Garmin.
Anyone who runs will, at times, have experienced how difficult it can be simply to get out of the front door. As the days grow colder, wetter, and darker, the temptation to stay inside becomes increasingly powerful. Running is also often a solo endeavour, meaning the battle over whether we stop or keep going frequently takes place within our own minds.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul uses athletic metaphors to paint a picture of the Christian life. Just as running requires motivation, self-discipline, and perseverance, so too does our walk with God. Although there is nothing greater than having a personal relationship with the living, creator God, there are times when this journey can feel hard.
"Just as running requires motivation, self-discipline, and perseverance, so too does our walk with God."
Perhaps we feel as though we are losing our battle against sin, or we are facing opposition for our faith in Christ. Maybe we are in a season of intense doubt, busyness, or suffering. All of these can make it feel challenging to keep pressing on. Paul describes the Christian life as a race that requires endurance if we are to finish.
At times, it may feel as though we are continually running uphill, battling against all that life throws at us. The temptation will always be to stop and take the path of least resistance. Yet runners know that it is only through perseverance that the greatest rewards are experienced; often we feel best after the runs in which we pushed the hardest.
In the same way, it is often through the uphill struggles of the Christian life that God teaches us the most. Sometimes it takes everything being stripped away for us to remember that we already have all we need in Christ. Not only does God use our struggles to foster greater reliance on Him, but He also promises to supply us with the strength we need to keep going.
"Sometimes it takes everything being stripped away for us to remember that we already have all we need in Christ."
Runners also understand the importance of having a goal — an endpoint towards which all training builds. I recently completed a marathon, and the thought of one day crossing the finish line was, at times, my sole motivation. It kept me going as I trundled along icy footpaths and consumed tasteless energy gels.
In Philippians 3, Paul speaks of “straining on towards what is ahead” as he looks to the eternal prize won for him by Jesus. In the ordinariness of day-to-day life, we can be quick to forget the glorious hope we have as Christians: the promise that one day we will dwell in a new and perfected creation alongside the One who died on the cross to make it possible. This hope shatters the grip that death, fear and doubt holds over our lives.
Jesus did not prioritise comfort. He endured temptation, exclusion, and suffering, yet willingly continued on towards the cross. When we face challenges in our Christian race, we must fix our eyes on Him — our ultimate prize, far greater than any finisher’s medal. At the end of our race, may we be able to join Paul in saying, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7).
