[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Ffinishing-the-race":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Ffinishing-the-race-surround":65},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":10,"columnName":48,"date":49,"description":16,"extension":50,"image":51,"meta":52,"minRead":53,"navigation":54,"path":55,"postType":56,"publication":57,"publicationUrl":51,"seo":58,"stem":59,"topics":60,"__hash__":64},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Ffinishing-the-race.md","Finishing the Race",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9],"Hebrews",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":44},"minimark",[13,17,20,23,26,29,32,35,38,41],[14,15,16],"p",{},"For years I’ve had a hard time understanding people who run marathons. Why do presumably sane individuals subject themselves to such torture? Why endure the sore muscles, chafed skin, and stressed joints created by running 26.2 miles, some of it uphill? Plus, you won’t win the race unless you happen to be one of those elite runners blessed with antelope legs who glide along the streets as if they were strolling leisurely at the mall.",[14,18,19],{},"A friend who ran a marathon recently told me it took him several days to recover afterward, and he mentioned matter-of-factly that in the process the toenail fell off his big toe. I was surprised to learn that this is a common occurrence for long-distance runners. Who are these crazy people hobbling around without toenails while they dream about running their next race?",[14,21,22],{},"I’m afraid I might become one of them.",[14,24,25],{},"I ran my first marathon this year—Cincinnati’s Flying Pig. To be clear, I didn’t actually run the whole race. I anchored a relay team with three college students who joined me to raise money for the renovation of a dorm at Cincinnati Christian University. I ran at the beginning of my 6.55-mile segment; I ran again while passing a crowd of spectators (I was too proud not to run); then I sprinted the last quarter mile to cross the finish line in style. The rest of the time, I walked as fast as I could.",[14,27,28],{},"When I told my doctor what I planned to do, he wryly asked, “Do you remember what happened to the first person who ever ran a marathon?” (To refresh your memory of Greek history, in 490 B.C. a messenger named Pheidippides ran 26.2 miles to tell the people of Athens that the Persians had been defeated at Marathon, and after announcing the news he dropped dead.) I asked my doctor, “Are you saying I will die if I run in the marathon?” His reply was something like, “No, but you’ll feel so bad you’ll wish you could.”",[14,30,31],{},"Run With Perseverance",[14,33,34],{},"Amazingly I enjoyed the experience—a lot. The morning air was cool and crisp as I arrived at the relay station and waited for my teammate to show up with the baton (a plastic tube with a computer chip inside) gripped tightly in her hand. I learned several lessons from running the race that day.",[14,36,37],{},"Now that I have participated in my first fourth of a marathon, I would gladly do it again",[14,39,40],{},"even if it costs me a toenail. The experience gave me a new appreciation for the Scripture that says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2).",[14,42,43],{},"QUESTIONS:",{"title":45,"searchDepth":46,"depth":46,"links":47},"",2,[],"Revealed and Relevant","2014-09-28","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Ffinishing-the-race","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":16},"articles\u002Ffinishing-the-race",[61,62,63],"Biblical Theology","Perseverance in Suffering","Spiritual Formation","DCushyaVQ6x9NXW8TUqJwJQ7tNldsPSFK4m1sxbnwBE",[66,71],{"title":67,"path":68,"stem":69,"description":70,"children":-1},"Finding Your Passion for Ministry","\u002Farticles\u002Ffinding-your-passion-for-ministry","articles\u002Ffinding-your-passion-for-ministry","Have you discovered your \"G.O.P.\"? I'm not talking about the Republicans' \"Grand Old Party.\" I'm talking about a formula for effective service in the church. The \"G.O.P.\" formula looks like this: Gift + Opportunity + Passion = Dynamic Ministry.",{"title":72,"path":73,"stem":74,"description":75,"children":-1},"Fired up or Stressed Out?","\u002Farticles\u002Ffired-up-or-stressed-out","articles\u002Ffired-up-or-stressed-out","If you exercise regularly, eat right, get eight hours of sleep every night, and punctuate every day with periods of quiet worship, you're likely to be healthy—and certain to be unusual. Many Christians today are too worn out to get fired up about anything—even God. Overwork, like gluttony, is a sin we seldom talk about. In fact, we applaud the hardworking overachiever. But at what price?"]