Perspective ShiftSample

The Joy of Endurance

Yesterday, we saw a picture of the Body of Christ represented by a gold medal athlete. Today, let’s take it a little further. After all, an Olympian has more than raw strength—they have endurance.

Would you ever show up to the starting line of a marathon without having trained? I sure wouldn’t! A life of faith is like a marathon—great joy comes from enduring and pressing on.

Just like Paul, who kept pressing "toward the goal," we’re all in a spiritual marathon. There's a heavenly prize awaiting us, and to reach it, endurance is non-negotiable. Sometimes, the road will be smooth. We’ll be running on a paved trail without a hill in sight. Other times, it'll feel like sprinting up a mountain. Yet Paul shows us there’s a unique joy that comes from the grit it takes to develop godly endurance—and it isn’t a fitness test you tackle on your own.

It’s running with God’s tailwind—a constant re-energizing from a source that’s outside of yourself. In Colossians 1:29, Paul describes it as supernatural energy from God “which works in me mightily.”

Endurance is far more than just our willpower and refusing to quit. It isn’t about earning our place in God’s family. It certainly isn’t about impressing God or others. It's about drawing strength from God that doesn’t make sense in the natural world; then letting that strength become your joy. If we’re honest, could any of us build the endurance required to reach the “prize of the upward call of God” on our own? Not even close! Which is why Paul says he presses on “...in Christ Jesus.” Yes, we’re running a marathon that requires a great deal of endurance. But we don’t manufacture the strength on our own. It comes from God with joy, power, and eternal satisfaction.

So my friend, how will you run today?

As you engage with God’s word:

● What is God saying to you?

● What does it mean to you?

● What action step do you need to take?

After you reflect on these questions, bring everything to God in prayer.