the finish line.

...so let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

my dad runs marathons. i don't get how he does it. to me, running 26.2 miles raises that same question as to why someone would jump out a perfectly good airplane: "what's the point?" now, if you were to ask him why he does it, i imagine his answer would be along the lines of "because i can." that's Paul Schmidt for you.

he gave a testimony at church last year on his passion for running and how it relates to what our church's pastor calls "God's Big Story." i felt so inspired by his message that i want to share it with you. so to give credit where it's due, many of these ideas originally came from him.

the life of a Christian is filled with highs and lows. there are the spiritual highs: the return from a mission project, or a vacation where you can really connect with God, or the days following an inspirational worship service or concert. but with all the highs come the lows: the loss of a loved one, the stress of day-to-day life, and doubt. but God provides us with everything we need to persevere: Him.

the story of mankind, or "God's Big Story," can be divided into three stages: Creation, Fall, and Redemption.

God created man to live in His image: free from sin. but man fell from God, and was separated from Father. we fell away, into a valley of darkness. without Him we are nothing.

then came Jesus.

our Redemption.

we see Jesus there at the end of the line, and we somehow find the willingness to go on and have faith that He will lead us to a better life. eternal life.

think of a runner at the starting line of a marathon. adrenaline pumping, heart pounding, excitement and anxiety racing through the body. the course of 26.2 miles awaits. energy and morale is at full strength. the gun goes off, and the race begins. creation.

20 miles into the race and the tables have seemed to turn. energy is low, morale is all but gone. many runners refer to this as "the wall." to Christians - the fall.

but somehow that runner makes it through the next few miles, and they see the finish line. redemption.

the Christian life is not a sprint. we cannot walk our entire life saving our energy for a mad dash to the finish line. life doesn't work like that. like a marathon, it is a test of endurance. it is a race that requires faith, hope, and trust that God will be there at the finish line to welcome us home. and it requires patience and perseverance. we must hold steadfast in our faith, trusting that God is with us for every step.

we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. - Romans 5:3-5

Peace and Love,

Andrew