Endurance is the Name of the Game
What a stunner. A man just ran a marathon (26.2 miles) in under 2 HOURS.
Eliud Kipchoge easily broke the “impossible” goal. His secret? “If I keep on running, my body responds.”
Endurance is the ability to push yourself toward your goals when your body, mind, and spirit say, “I’ve had enough.” Actually, you haven’t.
For me, it is trying to break 12 minute miles in my daily 2 mile walk. My body and mind try to talk me out of it every day, every step. I rarely make it but I reach for it every week.
What are the secrets of endurance in your life, your marriage, your legacy?
1. SACRIFICE
Jesus “endured the cross” because of the “joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:2). Though his body and mind told Him that He could not make it, He kept His eyes on the legacy of being the Redeemer of the sins of all mankind.
What is worth your sacrifice? What is worth short-term pain for long-term legacy? Pain, inconvenience, discomfort all shrink before your lifetime goals…your very purpose for existence.
2. COACHING
A father, a coach, a mentor is critical to endurance. You get discouraged that you are getting nowhere. A coach keeps you encouraged and keeps you challenged.
Who is the person in your life who can challenge you when you are slacking? Who can stand there with the stop watch and say, “pick up the pace” or “slow down or you will never last?”
Discipline is the secret of endurance. Find your coach and remember they are there because they love you and believe in you.
“Discipline is the secret of endurance.”
3. BOUNDARIES
Endurance is about boundaries. If you run off the track, out of your lane, or against the rules, you can be “disqualified.” Paul said, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).
Strife can throw you “off track.” Bitterness can “sideline” you. Moral failure can “penalize” you. Paul said, “Make STRAIGHT paths for your feet (Heb. 12:13). Is this attitude, conflict, or temptation really worth jeopardizing my lifetime goals? Stay inside the boundaries.
4. REWARD
If you learn sacrifice, coaching, and boundaries, you are ready for the final “lap” of your legacy: “reward.”
Keep your eyes on the prize. The prize is a longer, healthier life. The prize is an adequate retirement. The prize is greater and greater influence. The prize is a happy, united family.
The ultimate prize is HEAVEN! Our legacy is not just getting a bridge named after us. It is having our name written in the Book of Life, an eternity with Christ, the Father, the angels, and the perfected body of Christ.
Endure. Don’t quit. Hang on.
Eliud Kipchoge’s diet, rest, training, sacrificing, coaching and qualifying earned him the incredible reward of the ONLY MAN TO EVER BREAK 2 HOURS IN A MARATHON.
What’s your legacy?