It's a Marathon, Not a Race - September 10
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; 1 Kings 18:20-40; Phil. 3:1-16; Matt. 3:1-12
Today’s Reflection
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 3:10-14
You’ve probably heard people say, or maybe you sometimes say this yourself, “It’s a marathon, not a race.” The point is that not all running is about being fast or coming in first or even in the top 10 runners. For a longer race, like a 26.2-mile marathon, it’s about keeping going, and just keep on going from mile to mile until you finally run all 26.2 of them. So, when we say or hear others say, “It’s a marathon, not a race,” we’re trying to remind ourselves that a lot of life happens by just making sure we keep on moving forward. It’s about perseverance.
One of my favorite professors while in grad school at Texas A&M had a sign on her door that said something to the effect of that what matters isn’t being the smartest person in the room, it’s about being the person who keeps going and doesn’t give up. And that has always stuck with me—especially since Vanessa, the person with that sign on her door, is one of the most accomplished academics I’ve had the good fortune to know. She had that sign on her door at a time in her life when she was an untenured assistant professor at a Research I university (a high-pressure job) with a preschooler at home, another baby on the way, and a one-hour commute each way to campus. So, she knew something about that whole “It’s a marathon, not a race” thing.
I remember seeing her on campus on September 11, 2001, and like everyone she was devastated—but she was also worried. Her husband and son were in downtown Houston, where he worked and where her son was in preschool, while she was on the A&M campus in College Station. She was worried that there could be more attacks on major cities that day, and she just wanted to know that her family was safe and that at the end of the day they would all be back at home together. Ultimately, how she felt that day, so separated from her family because of her long commute to A&M, played a role in her deciding to look for a position somewhere where she and her husband could both work close to where they live. While I was sad when she left A&M the next year to take a position in Dallas, I knew that she was doing the right thing for herself and her family.
Now, years after seeing that sign about perseverance on Vanessa’s office door, it’s heartening to see where that mindset of perseverance, coupled with a priority of taking care of herself and her family, got her: She moved on to a few other universities, earned tenure and promotion to associate professor along the way, has continued to raise her sons, and has ended up an administrator at one of the most prestigious universities in the country. And she has done all this not by flaunting her intelligence or other gifts, but by being someone who just keeps going and strives for excellence, even in the face of some substantial challenges along the way. Twenty years later, it’s still about perseverance. And I would bet she might be surprised to know that I still remember that little sign posted on her office door, or our conversation about her fears on September 11—but it made an impact on me, and so did she.
As we continue to read through Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we find Paul writing about perseverance in the face of adversity. Not everyone loved Paul like the Philippians did. I mean, he was writing to them from a prison in Rome, after all. Paul had some enemies who made life beyond difficult for him at times—to the point of him being thrown (unjustly) into jail. So, it’s with some real-life experience that Paul writes his friends in Philippi, “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!” But Paul wants his fellow believers to know that they need to just keep running the race, even when some may try to throw up roadblocks and other hazards along the way. We’ll encounter those who want to discourage us and make us want to give up, but we’ll also encounter encouragers like Paul was to the Philippians or like Vanessa was to me and to all her students and colleagues, and those are the ones who will help us to “press on towards… the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 14).
—Becky+
Questions for Self-Reflection
When have you experienced something that felt more like a marathon than a race? What or who helped you to keep running?
Daily Challenge
Think of someone who needs encouragement to keep “pressing on” in whatever they may be going through in life. Reach out and let them know they’re not alone and that they can keep running, one step at a time.