Marathon

There was a marathon this morning in Lima, Peru. 26.2 miles of running. Part of the marathon went through the rotary where the cinema is located & where we have FRC-Lima. Normally this is not a good thing for us, as it normally means closed streets all around us & extreme difficulty for many people to arrive @ church. But today, thankfully, we had large, energetic crowds in both of our services, so it appears that not too many folks had to deal w/ closed streets & hundreds of marathoners on their way to church.

I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, in the USA, & every April I'd watch the running of the Boston Marathon. Every year I'd see the winner of the Boston Marathon conquer Heartbreak Hill & then burst across the finish line, dog-tired, sometimes limping, sometimes vomiting, but always full of the pride & the glory & the unequaled thrill of winning the race.

I also always noticed that the runner who was ahead early in the marathon never was the winner @ the end.

Ministry is the same way.

There are those in ministry - pastors, church leaders, denomination leaders, etc. - who may flash on the ministerial stage for a season or two, but then they flame out quickly. Ministry is a marathon. Ministry is 26.2 miles, not 100 meters. To win in ministry, you have to pace yourself, keep your eyes on the prize, & persevere.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV), Paul says, "Run in such a way as to get the prize."

In James 1:3-4 (NIV), James writes, "... the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature & complete, not lacking anything."

You & I are running a marathon, not a sprint. Your feet may be bloody & blistered, your stomach may be weak, & you may be ready to throw in the towel, but hang on. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Pace yourself. Don't burn out too quickly. Don't flame out too quickly. Don't sprint. Keep an appropriate pace.

Persevere.

In doing so, you'll finish the marathon, & you'll get your God-blessed prize @ the finish line.