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. [Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)]
Last October, we went north to watch our son and daughter-in-law run the Chicago Marathon. This 26.2-mile race passes through 29 Chicago neighborhoods and the city’s streets were lined with spectators ringing bells, beating drums, holding signs, cheering, and applauding as the runners ran past. Like us, some were there to cheer on specific runners but many were there to encourage all who were running. When we saw Sam and Nina, they were nine miles into their run and had stripped off the jackets, gloves, and hats they’d been wearing earlier that morning. The whole scene reminded me of today’s verse from Hebrews in which the author likens Christian living to running a race with endurance.
Of course, when Hebrews’ author refers to witnesses, he’s referring to the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 rather than spectators. Nevertheless, like marathon runners who can grow discouraged as the miles take their toll, we all need encouragement as we face trials and troubles in our faith journey. Rather than onlookers cheering from the sidewalk, it’s our brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage and pray for us in our challenges. Instead of discarding extra clothing or water bottles as do runners, we must strip off the hindrances and burdens—things like doubt, resentment, wealth, unbelieving friends, and guilt—that can cause us to stumble in our run.
When telling his readers to run their race with endurance, the writer used hupomoné, a Greek word describing someone who remains loyal to their purpose and refuses to veer off from it even when faced with great trials and suffering. Although running 26.2 miles is no easy task for even elite athletes, we saw runners of all ages, shapes, and sizes. There were blind runners with guides and several runners who were missing limbs. Some people raced in their wheelchairs while others raced while pushing loved ones in wheelchairs. Some runners wore tee shirts celebrating their recovery from cancer and one man, wearing a leg brace, wore a tee saying he’d broken his leg in February! Each runner faced their own unique challenges and, even at the 9-mile point where we stood, some were struggling to continue. Nevertheless, in spite of their individual trials, more than 98% of the day’s 48,944 runners had enough endurance to finish the race.
Little did we know when we saw the first runners speed by that we were witnessing the breaking of a world record. In only his third marathon, Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum completed the 26.2 miles in two hours (2:00:35)! His closest competition was nearly 4 minutes behind him and wasn’t even in view when Kiptum crossed the finish line! Kiptum certainly exhibited endurance in his run as did Sam and Nina in their four-hour run. But, when reading about the race later, I discovered the real meaning of hupomoné in a story about a woman named Gabriela who ran her seventh marathon that day.
Kiptum, Sam, and Nina had crossed the finish line by the time this 57-year-old passed the 9-mile mark. By then, the spectators had departed, the streets were being opened for traffic, and she had to continue her run on the sidewalk. Nevertheless, Gabriela persisted as she has for the last seven years. One year, it took her ten hours to complete the race and, by the time she got to the finish line, it wasn’t there and nobody remained to applaud her effort or award her a medal. Nevertheless, finishing dead last didn’t deter Gabriela and she continued to do the marathon. This year, the determined woman finished in time to get a medal and achieved her personal best with a 6:56:19! Her optimistic advice to other marathoners is simple: “Keep going, never quit, and maybe next year will be better!” To Gabriela, it’s not about being the fastest—it’s simply about finishing the race—even if it means finishing in last place! Although Kelvin Kiptum, Sam, and Nina exhibited endurance in their runs, it is Gabriela’s example that defines hupomoné. She showed that it’s not about how fast we run; it’s about never giving up!
Motivation is enough to start the race but it is endurance that finishes it! Indeed, “let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Devotions of the Heart 