The bible uses analogies of races to represent our Christian walk at several points, and only after completing the half-marathon did I gain a keener insight on the matter. I learnt some important lessons, after processing the experience of it in retrospect.

How should we run the race of Christian faith?

 

1. Purpose to Finish Strong

My training as a teacher has taught me one thing at least: always set clear objectives at the beginning. Unfortunately for this marathon, my objective was merely to finish it. That in itself was good, because it had kept me going, pushing myself beyond the limits I perceived myself to have. However, after my leg cramped at the 15 km mark, I was forced to walk the rest of the way. Only when I reached the finish line did it hit me that it really didn't matter how I began the marathon. Some could have sprinted initially; others could have walked. Essentially, all that is important is how I finished it. I would have loved to run my way past the finish line, but my legs would not cooperate any more. As for why my legs cramped up on me, I suppose it is simply due to a lack of regular training.

I think in our Christian walks, most of the time we start off well, with gusto, and then we start to lose steam along the way. I would of course determine to finish the race of faith, but not just that, I want to be sprinting across that finish line a victor, and not dragging one limp leg or something, or worse, having given up halfway. In order to finish strong, we also need regular training – grounding in prayer, meditation of the scriptures, and etc – so that our spirit man will not cramp up on us at the critical moments.

 

2. Prepare to Follow Selectively

When you are running continuously for hours, at some point it starts to feel aimless. Sure, there is a finish line somewhere, but it is so far away that you would need something to occupy your mind in the meantime. I would look for someone in front of me, running at a pace I can follow for the next stretch of road. I need to choose someone who I think can lead me to the next milestone, or finish the race. Sometimes the person I follow may just drop away or slow down along the way, but that doesn't mean I follow in his footsteps; I simply overtake him, and search for someone else to follow for the next bit.

In our Christian walk, we do follow certain people, be it leaders or peers. There are people we emulate, or learn from, thinking that it would be good to reach their level of faith, and move further from thereon. The problem is, sometimes people fall away, and it's important for us to move on despite that, and not be discouraged in the process, especially when those we hold in high esteem fall from grace. The bottomline though, is that, even if everyone falls away, I must still continue, and finish the race myself. For all I know, there may even be those who are following me.

 

3. Persevere with the Fellowship of the Saints

A marathon is a long race, and it would certainly be very different if I were running it by myself, compared to running with ten thousand other people. Better still, when I was running with my fellow G12 brother and keeping pace, there was a certain assurance and unspoken encouragement in the process. It is more comforting to have someone you know running alongside you than not.

The Christian walk is no different. There are of course people who do not wish to attend church, but it is about community, and fellowship. Indeed, how can we love our neighbours as ourselves, if we remain solitary? Having the encouragement of fellow Christians can be a steadying force in building our faith, especially since it takes a whole lifetime to complete. That is why the cell group is so precious to me; it is about growing in faith together, and accountability. It is one thing to persevere alone; it is another to have someone battling side by side with you.