Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! (1 Corinthians 9:24)

When we think about our faith, we often think in analogous ways that approximately describe the state of our souls. The Apostle Paul gave the footrace as an apt descriptor that is still readily understood today. We can picture ourselves running towards our God given finish lines, striving in the difficult sections and maybe coasting on the straight-a-ways. But you know, one can run a race with little preparation and perhaps do well for a short while. It's the longer races that take their toll. Before you cross the starting line, here are four regular practices that will empower you to go your God given distance:

1. Train

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Don’t kid yourself, you gotta train & often. Part of your ongoing training is reading and studying God’s word. There are online study guides, devotionals, videos, podcasts, etc., but I find what works best for me is something on paper. Lately, I’ve been using the NLT’s Filament Journaling Collection. Don’t worry if that’s not your thing – you can always sit down with the Bible, pick a section and read, read, read. Even a verse a day is better than nothing. So wherever you’re at, keep at it & keep training. Reading and studying the Bible is meant to help you get over the starting line. It’s not the finish.

2. Stretch

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that JesusChrist is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

When it comes to sports & physical activity, I’m not big on stretching. It may have something to do with my impatience, but right now I don’t have time to examine that quark . . . or do I? Often we fail to examine ourselves because we’re way to busy. There are the pressing needs and wants of the day as well as the unforeseen responsibilities that suddenly collide with our schedules, and all of these crowd out our need to examine ourselves, which, when you stop & think about it, is a form of stretching and/or testing. The great inventor and statesmen, Benjamin Franklin, would daily journal in the morning about his upcomingactivities and then in the evening he would journal again but this time examining the spent day. However and whenever you choose to examine yourself, do so regularly and it’ll become as common as brushing your teeth. Your soul will be that much more limber and ready for the race ahead.

3. Eat

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).
You can’t run on an empty stomach and expect to get far. As Christians, our sustenance comes from being with Jesus. This is accomplished through times of prayer, worship, fellowship, service, celebration, and a whole host of other spiritual activities. The remarkable thing about our faith is that it’s based on a person, a relationship with the Son of God, and not on a particular ethical or denominational system. Of course we have morals and virtues and frameworks of leadership as Christians, but our souls only feast and grow in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. No matter how much good we do; that is, no matter how much we run, the running itself won’t feed our souls. It’ll wear us out and pull energy from us. It’s time with Jesus that restores the soul. Spend time with Him and you’ll be well feed.

4. Rest

“Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones” (Psalm 127:1-2).

Resting seems antithetical to training. For example, if you're slow, you simply train yourself to run faster by practicing over & over again. Working through repetition is how you get better, faster, stronger, and smarter. However, Psalm 127 puts our work into a proper perspective. One can put in the work but without resting/trusting in the Lord, all of it will come to a frustrating end. It’s one of the reasons grace & mercy are major themes in the New Testament. From the Garden of Eden and onward, we were created to tend a garden. That’s work, no doubt about it. We were also made to rest. The first commandment (don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) is one of restriction and rest. It was a means of trust in God and His work and didn’t rely on the works of people. It was essentially a call to rest. Be sure to do much good but also to trust much of God. Before you cross the starting line, start by regularly doing these four practices and you will go the distance and finish what our Lord has put before you.

On your mark. 
Get set. 
Go!