Encouragement for Running Our Race

October 6, 2026

A compilation

Imagine that you are a runner at the Olympic Games. Your coach is on the sidelines to watch you. The stands are full of friends and relatives cheering you on. You have trained, practiced, and are now ready to run the race. The Bible uses this picture to illustrate the life of a Christian.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Training for and running races are not easy. They are hard work. There is a great deal of effort in building up one’s strength in preparation, and the actual race is draining.

It is so easy to become discouraged and quit. The life of a Christian is also like that, with lots of hardships and difficulties along the way. … [Our] source of encouragement is our Savior. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:2–3).

Jesus is like our coach. Yes, He was and is the divine Son of God, but He did not come to earth as a superhuman being who walked a few feet above the ground on a cloud, or lived as a king in a palace with special privileges, but He came as one of us, “taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). … Thus, we need to consider what Jesus endured lest we become weary and discouraged. …

All of us are in a race from here to eternity. Either we are running down the broad way that leads to everlasting destruction or we are running the strait and narrow way that leads to everlasting life (Matthew 7:13–14). The strait and narrow way can be difficult at times with various hardships that discourage us; but God offers us encouragement through the great cloud of witnesses, the example of Jesus His Son, the comfort of the Scriptures, and the knowledge of His love. ...

With this kind of encouragement, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”—Wayne S. Walker¹

Running with endurance

The writer of Hebrews says that … we need to “run with endurance the race set before us.” Endurance implies that the Christian life is better compared to a marathon than a sprint. It is something that takes work, commitment, and fortitude. It can’t be completed without preparation or practice—otherwise we will burn out in no time at all. Think about it: you would not run a marathon without any preparation. You don’t just show up the day of the race and expect to do well. Rather, you sign up months ahead, sometimes a year ahead. You learn what kind of course it is, if it will be hilly or flat, hot or cold, and so on.

So too in the Christian life we must prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. This is what it means to “count the cost” of following Christ. There’s a price to be paid. It won’t be easy. Discipleship requires endurance. Following Jesus will mean trial and tribulations, but we can’t allow those hindrances to cause us to give up. And indeed, if we are expecting them and are prepared for them, by the Spirit’s power we won’t give up. Thus, Peter and John both exhort us: “do not be surprised” or “do not be caught off guard” at the race we must run (1 Peter 4:12, 1 John 3:13). When we see the course that is set before us, we will not be surprised. We will be ready to run, come what may.

In Luke 9, one eager would-be disciple approaches Jesus and proclaims, “I will follow you wherever you go” (Luke 9:57). But then Jesus explained to him the nature of the course before him: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Jesus was telling him this is the kind of life he would be signing up for if he wanted to follow the Son of Man. In other words, Jesus was explaining it wasn’t an easy stroll, nor a quick sprint. It was a grueling marathon that would take endurance. The implication in the passage is that, upon hearing this, the man gives up on Christ. He wasn’t ready to run with endurance.

Are you prepared for the race set before you? It will be a long one—indeed, a lifelong one. It will take endurance. But the good news is that the endurance comes from God himself. God strengthens us for whatever he calls us to do. Paul reminds us of this in Colossians. He says that we as Christians are “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11).—Jonathan Landry Cruse²

We don’t run alone

We often hear our life of faith compared to running a race or being on a journey. Countless songs, books, and sermons are based on those concepts. As a runner, I find inspiration in the verse “run with endurance the race that is set before us, … looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1–2). But recently it came alive to me from a whole new perspective.

I heard a story about a young boy who was paralyzed and unable to move, except for his head. Clearly, it was hopeless for him to try to do anything “sporty.” But he didn’t resign himself. When he heard of a 5 km run being hosted as a fundraiser for a friend who also had become paralyzed through a tragic accident, he had a bold idea. With the assistance of technology that enables him to type messages using his eyes and head, he told his father, “I want to run in that race.”

Instead of pointing out the impossibility of the plan, his father made a cart that his son could lie in and pulled it the entire 5 km. At the end of the race, his son typed another message: “This is the first time I don’t feel handicapped.” And so they did it again. And again. And again!

To date, this father has competed with his son in over 300 races—including marathons and triathlons. He runs, swims, and cycles, pulling, pushing, and carrying his son every single step of the way. Why? Simply because he loves his son and wants him to be happy. The son didn’t do anything particular to deserve such love. He’s the son, and that’s all that matters.

We’re the sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, which means we don’t have to push on alone when we’re weary. We can fall into His arms, and He will carry us. That’s what “I will never leave you nor forsake you”means (Hebrews 13:5).

No matter the mess we’re in, or the troubles we face, His love towards us never wavers. He is always there, ready to help us reach each goal, and one day, we’ll cross the ultimate finish line together.—Chris Mizrany

Going the distance

The Bible compares the Christian life to running in a long-distance race. At tough times, we may feel that we’ve been running a marathon. We feel tired, thirsty, and doubtful whether we can make it to the finish line.

But we are never alone in this struggle. Today I want to encourage you that we have “a great cloud of witnesses” cheering us on from the heavenly stadium—the great men and women who have already run their races and finished in triumph. These are our older brothers and sisters in Christ and they are very numerous!

Let’s consider the first two verses of Hebrews 12: “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

When I first read this verse, it conjured up an image of saints walking on fluffy clouds up in the heavens, but then I read an interesting commentary by the Bible teacher Rick Renner. He is a Greek scholar and explained the true meaning of the reference to clouds in the original Greek language.

“The clouds” referred to the highest seats at the top of a sporting stadium. So the verse is referring to the grandstands of heaven. The saints who went before us are surrounding us on every side as we go into the arena and cheering us on. They are people just like us, who held on to their faith and are now glorified in Heaven! ...

The saints of old were people just like us, who made it through their trials and did what God had called them to do. They faced tasks that seemed impossible; they stood firm and made it through fire and water, arriving at their heavenly destination with their mission accomplished. They received resounding praise from God himself. …

The great cloud of witnesses is made up of both men and women who succeeded against all of the odds and finished their earthly assignments because they trusted in God’s power to carry them through. They fixed their eyes on Jesus rather than on the obstacles they encountered.

So, if you know that God has given you an assignment or a gifting to use for the building of his Kingdom here on earth, you can be inspired by these dazzling examples of faith. These great men and women traveled the same spiritual road that we walk today; they were pilgrims just like us. They faced attacks of fear and discouragement—even persecution—but pressed on to victory, drawing their strength from the Holy Spirit. ...

So, press on, royal sons and daughters of the Most-High God. Fix your eyes on Jesus and run towards the finish line. Use all of your talents for his glory. All of Heaven is cheering you on!—Lyn Alderson³

Published on Anchor October 2026. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky. Music by Michael Dooley.

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