Who Is Cheering You On?

As I was taking my morning walk yesterday, I came across a procession of people of all shapes and sizes running along one of the streets that cuts through my neighbourhood. A checkpoint was set up at the corner, manned by people in flourescent vests. They were handing out water bottles and cheering on the runners and walkers. I asked one of them what was going on.

“They’re running a marathon.”

“What?” I asked in surprise. “You mean the full 42 kilometers?”

“Yeah. But these are the last of the bunch.”

One of the cheerleaders cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Walking or running – same whatsapp group!”

The walkers who heard him broke into a jog and ran up to receive their water bottles, before continuing down the road at a steady jog.

I watched them a while longer. I noticed that each time the walkers were cheered on, they broke into a run and pushed themselves just a little bit harder.

That’s when I realized that the spiritual life is exactly the same.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint (2 Tim 4:7). To make it to the end, we need someone cheering for us.