Have you ever thought something like this?
- I can’t do it!
- This is impossible!
- What was I thinking? There is no way I will make it!
- I’m useless at this!
- I give up – forget it!
It’s safe to say that we all get to this level of frustration and discouragement at one point or another. Everyone hits a wall along the journey and sits down, wondering, ‘What have I gotten myself into? How do I persevere when I just want to give up?’ Can you relate? Perhaps you’re saying those words right now and are ready to throw in the towel on work, a relationship, a project or a health-related goal. How do you push through to the end?
Let’s talk about running as we begin thinking about perseverance. Honestly, I dislike running! I was a chubby kid who didn’t have an ounce of athleticism in my body. Nothing made me feel more uncoordinated and slow than the ‘flexed arm hang’ and the ‘shuttle run’ of the Participaction program in my elementary PE class. Ugh! I cringe just thinking about it! I adopted a belief that athletics and Gina would not be friends. The thought, ‘I can’t do it, so why bother trying?’ became a mantra of sorts. Years later, when I was invited to start running by one of my kids’ teachers, I laughed at him. I wasn’t good at it and I didn’t enjoy it whatsoever. Run? Why would I ever do that? That makes things shake, quiver and hurt! No thanks!
How to persevere
Consider these words from Hebrews 12:1-3 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Paul, the writer of these words, lays out a strategy for perseverance, albeit not an easy one. He outlines what it takes to run a race through to completion and calls us to join him on the journey. Imagine my struggle to embrace this challenge! I had never been willing to embrace such exertion, such vulnerability in the face of potential failure. If I wanted to live accordingly, I needed to step up! With growing maturity in life and faith, I try to embrace five valuable lessons in learning how to persevere when I want to give up.
I am not alone in the struggle of life
Paul references the huge crowd of witnesses. In the previous chapter, he gives a list of heroes of faith, reminding us that these now famous people were just like you and me. It was their faith that got them through the exodus, countless battles, running for their lives or enduring torture for the sake of Christ. This is the group of faithful followers who now watch and cheer on the sidelines of our race. Not only are the Biblical characters evidence of perseverance, but there are many Christians today who live out their daily walk of faith with courage, grace and determination. This is the crowd in which we live and are invited to run with. Whatever you or I might face, there is someone in this vast crowd who has been there and won. We are not alone.
What is weighing me down? Take an inventory!
It’s time to admit that I am now a ‘runner’. The teacher I referenced above, was my inspiration. When he passed away in 2010, I ran my first 10K in his honour and I have dabbled ever since. Do I love it? No, but I learned to focus, train and persevere to reach a goal. Paul tells us we need to run light; to throw off whatever is weighing us down. He is talking about sin, bad habits, toxic thinking. What weighs you down, making running a good race feel like an impossibility? What is at the core of your frustration and desire to quit? Are there things you are believing about yourself or others that ties you down and makes movement difficult?
I didn’t believe that I had it in me to run the length of a telephone pole, let alone a mini-triathlon, or 180 km hike. It took the shedding of literal pounds, but also the paralyzing thoughts that I had adopted as a young child. I needed to let go of the ‘fat’ mentality that held me captive and kept me enslaved and weighed down. Slowly, I accepted that, in fact, I could accomplish these incredible goals. There is now evidence to disprove the faulty thinking and I am able to persevere, knowing that I have done it before.
Start to run
From the time my teacher-friend first asked me to run to the when I actually began, was probably a two year gap. I thought about it often but kept putting it off and making excuses. I figured I would get to it some day but had 1000 reasons why today wasn’t the day to start. Thinking about running did not get me anywhere. It required me putting on my shoes and getting out on the road. I just needed to start. So with one foot in front of the other, one telephone pole at a time, I began to run 1 km, then 2, then 5. It took determination and stamina. It took mental and emotional grit. I needed to get my butt off the metaphorical couch and learn how to persevere. What step can you take today to move forward?
Look to Jesus
In Hebrews 11, where Paul describes the crowd of witnesses, every entry on the list begins with ‘in faith’. Everything they accomplished was done for God and in His strength. Moses could not have divided a massive body of water, nor could Joshua have brought down a city wall with a shout. Likewise, David could not have slayed a giant with a small stone and Joseph could not have resisted the seduction of the governor’s attractive wife. As a result of trust and dependence in an all-powerful God, we remember these mighty feats today. They were accomplished by eyes fixed on the One who had the ability and wisdom to see the plan through. As we start to run, Paul is reminding us, that just as our forefathers had to look to God, so we have to fix our eyes on Jesus in order to run the race before us.
Admittedly, when I take my eyes off Jesus, I can’t run well at all. I get caught up in old thinking and toxic lies that have me sitting down in shame and fear. I lose perspective and forget the purpose of the race altogether. Sadly, I actually forget how to persevere! My eyes turn from Jesus to myself and suddenly, my world gets very small. It is for good reason that Scripture instructs us often to look up, to praise, to be thankful, to be joyful. Why? When our eyes are on Jesus, our perspective changes and the path becomes clear. Where is your focus? What would it take to shift your eyes to Jesus in this season of difficulty?
Keep perspective
Paul directs our attention to the cross in the last part of these verses. He suggests that as we run, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, we will persevere if we remember the One who went before us. Jesus was mocked, betrayed, brutally whipped and beaten and then murdered on a rugged cross. He knew the race set before Him and ran willingly – the perfect picture of determination and perseverance. Paul encourages you and I to keep this example always before us, remembering that Jesus suffered the greatest atrocities known to man. He knew rejection, betrayal, loneliness, disappointment, anger, grief…He experienced the whole realm of human emotion but persevered through it all to fulfill God’s master plan. Paul teaches that if we can remember the example of Jesus, we will find courage to maintain the course.
What now?
I recently made a decision to begin training for a self-made half marathon. There are no races held currently due to COVID-19. The virtual variety have taken their place so I decided to make my own event in order to motivate myself! Even as I write this, I think, ‘There is no way I can run 21K!’ but I’m going to try. I am committing to train for the next three months and push myself in every way. It will require personal grit on a spiritual, mental and physical level. Suddenly, coaching becomes personal by telling myself that I am not alone, that I need to keep my eyes on the finish line and I will get there one step at a time. I am strong. I am capable. That chubby little kid is long gone.
You are strong. You are capable. Whatever lies before you, you are not alone. I would love to hear your story. Perhaps you need support as you learn how to persevere. I would be honoured to walk with you. Contact me here.
If you need therapeutic help, beyond the scope of coaching, my friends at www.mercyseatministry.ca would love to hear from you.
