Run with Patience, Not Without it!

We must all train ourselves to be strong finishers, not just good starters.

Different games in sports

There are several games in sports, and each has its own specific rules governing it. Even within a particular game, there are subcategories. Take athletes in games, for example. An athlete training for a 100-metre race, which demands speed and precision, trains very differently from someone preparing for a 10,000-metre race.

The long-distance runner not only learn to run but also trains their mind to stay focused.

There’s a lot of mental preparation involved. For instance, at the start of a race, some athletes may appear as though they’ll finish quickly.

That can create mental pressure to compete with them. However, as the race progresses, many are unable to keep up. There are good starters, but weak finishers. Jesus spoke of such cases when He said, “But many that are first shall be last; and the be first” (Matthew 19:30).

Run with patience

The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Just as some athletes try to run in haste, sometimes we rush into things without patience.

We rarely take time to sit down and count the cost, to see if we have what it takes to finish. The reason we start many important things, but rarely finish them.

We make commitments to God and soon forget that we ever made them.

Marathon, not a sprint

We sometimes forget this truth: the Christian race is not a sprint, it’s a marathon to be run with endurance. We can’t afford to leave patience behind. Run with it, not without it. It is only through patience that we are able to bring forth fruit “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).

Running without fruit

If we’ve been running without any fruit of righteousness, fruit of souls, or fruit of character, now we know where we’ve not got it right - running the race without patience. Developing Christian character and soul-winning both require patience. Helping someone come to know the Lord and establishing them in righteousness takes patience. It is the work of the patient; it is the race of the patient.

The Race Is Set Before Us!

The race is right before us, not behind. From the last time I checked, I can’t remember ever hearing of a backward race… unless we’ve now invented one! But in biblical thought, the race is always before us, not behind, not beside, not above, but before us.

And this race is not new. It began long ago; you are not the first to run, nor am I. We are surrounded by a great cloud of strong witnesses, too. The reason? So that we can run with patience.

Joseph as a Witness

Take Joseph, for example. He was a patient man; he knew something about running with endurance, and we can learn much from him.

Things worked against him: his brothers fought against him, and Pharaoh’s servant caused him to be imprisoned without a fair hearing. Yet he continued and ran his race with patience.

I’m sure that when he became governor over Egypt, either Potiphar or his wife, or both, were still alive. Yet he never brought their case up again. He ran his race with patience, not in competition, not in retaliation, but in quiet confidence in God’s plan.

That is a practical example of what it means to run with patience: when things are against us, we refuse to let them dictate our attitude toward God or toward people. Instead, we lift our eyes to the hills, from where our help comes.

Race of patience, not competition

Have you noticed how easily we are tempted to compete? Most of our environments have conditioned us to compare and contend with others. But if there’s one area where competition doesn’t belong, it’s in following the Lord as He leads you. Competing robs us of focus; it distracts us from the race set before us.

Whenever we compete, even for what may seem like legitimate reasons, it’s often a sign that we’ve stepped out of our lane. You can’t run in another person’s lane and yours at the same time. Think of an athlete who spends time arguing with spectators or trying to pull down fellow runners. Will he ever win?

Our merciful High Priest

Of course not. No one leaves their lane and wins. In fact, in athletics, stepping out of your lane is grounds for disqualification. But thank God for our merciful High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our weaknesses.

When we stray, He makes a way for us to return to our lane and keep running the race with patience. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! 1 Corinthians 9:24.