The Spiritual Roots
of Endurance
Last week I ran the Pike's Peak Ascent, a 13.32 mile race along a narrow
mountain trail, ascending nearly 8,000 feet to the top of Pikes Peak, 14,115
feet above sea level. I had trained for many months and felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Awesome as the race
was, what I'll remember most is actually a brief announcement I overheard
during the Pikes Peak Marathon the following day. That announcement took only
five seconds but it clarified for me what "endurance" really means
and how the emerging generation might be inspired to pursue it.
Running
Your Entire Life
One look at the
Pikes Peak Marathon website makes one wonder why anyone would ever sign up for
the race:
The Pikes Peak
Ascent and Pikes Peak Marathon will redefine what you call running. Sure, they
start out like a lot of races on Any Street, USA. But your first left turn will
have you turning in the direction of up! During the next 10 miles, as you gain
almost 6,000 vertical feet, your legs, lungs, heart and mind will be worn to a
ragged nothingness. But it won't be until your last three miles, with still
over 2,000' of vertical to go, that you will realize where the Marathon got its
moniker-America's Ultimate Challenge.
There's a reason
trees don't bother growing above 12,000' on Pikes Peak. They can't! Makes one
wonder if trees are smarter than runners. Above treeline most runners take 30
minutes or more, some much more, just to cover a mile. What little air remains
can't satisfy the endless stream of zombies hoping only to survive their next
step-a death march right out of a scene from Dawn of the Dead. Adding insult to
injury, it might start to snow!
And yet 1712 people
completed the Ascent on Saturday and 689 people completed the Marathon on
Sunday. Believe it or not, 111 people were "doublers," completing both
races. Imagine that--nearly 40 miles of extreme trail running in the space of
36 hours.
Anyway, I felt pretty good about my race decided to relax on the front porch of the
house where we stay in Manitou Springs during the summer. The finish line for
the marathon was about 100 yards down the hill, so I could hear the announcer read the numbers and names of those who crossed the finish line.
Keith Wood, Age 81, finishing the Pikes Peak Ascent  |
I snapped to
attention when I heard the following: "And coming across the finish line
now is Keith Wood, eighty-one-years-young. And he's a doubler!"
"Absolutely
incredible," I thought. "At age 81 this guy ran the same race I ran
yesterday plus the marathon today!"
But that's not all.
I grabbed my computer to look up the previous day's results and discovered that
even though Keith Wood is nearly twice my age, he finished the Ascent only 20
minutes behind me.
And there's more.
Next to Keith's name was a time of 4 hours, 44 minutes, with the notation
"New course record for age group." I quickly scanned the page and
found the old course record--set in 2009 by, you guessed it, Keith Wood, 4 hours,
51 minutes.
So not only is
Keith Wood, age 81, a marathoner, he's an ultra-marathoner.
And he's not just dialing in his performances; he's getting better. Clearly Wood believes that the key to a successful life
is to run, literally, all the way to
the finish line.
Yet Spiritually, You
Can't Endure to the End in Your Own Power
I've never met
Keith Wood, but based on his example I am now inspired to sign up for the Pikes
Peak Ascent again next year and possibly even the full Marathon. Keith made me
realize that I am capable of much more than I imagined. What I need is not
more energy or creativity--what I need is a stronger spirit of endurance.
There are many
areas of life in which inspiring examples of perseverance to help me see that
what I think is impossible is actually possible. But in a spiritual sense,
natural examples of perseverance aren't enough because what Christians are called to do is
not natural.
Essentially, the
Christian life is a set of firm convictions, each of which utterly transcends
the natural realm:
God
is who He says He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him
(Hebrews 11:6)
Jesus'
command to disciple the nations is to be taken seriously (Matthew 28:18-20)
God's
plan is for us to endure in spreading the gospel (2 Timothy 2:1-13)
The
gospel is the good news of God's plan to bless the nations of the earth through
us (Galatians 3:6-9).
Christians
recognize that this is impossible, even with inspiring examples to point the
way. The endurance needed to accomplish these tasks is supernatural in origin--it happens only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Powerful Spiritual Weapons to Battle the Forces Attacking Young Adults
The emerging
generation needs to understand that endurance is not rooted in a compelling
vision/mission statement, or a well-defined goal, or a spiffy resume, or flawless communication skills. All of
these things have merit, but aimlessness is first and foremost a spiritual
problem, not a logistical problem.
Christians must
clearly understand what John Piper articulates in The Roots of Endurance:
Our fight and our
race and endurance is a radically God-centered, Christ-exalting,
Spirit-dependent, promise-supported life. It is not a 'just do it' ethic. It is
not a moral self-improvement program.... It is a deeply cross-embracing life that
knows the Christ of the Bible as the Son of God who was crucified first as our
substitute and then as our model of endurance. (p. 29)
If you're concerned
about those who are having a hard time getting a sense of direction, consider
engaging spiritually on their behalf through prayer, as the Apostle Paul did for
his disciples:
Pray
that the Holy Spirit will help them in their weakness (Romans 8:26, Ephesians
3:16)
Pray
that they will not do what is wrong, but will do what is right (2 Corinthians
13:7)
Pray
that the eyes of their heart will be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18)
Pray
a prayer of thanksgiving for them (2 Timothy 1:3)
Pray
that they may increase in knowledge and depth of insight (Philippians 1:9,
Colossians 1:9)
Pray
that they will be able to avoid anxiety but turn their concerns over to God in
prayer (Philippians 4:6)
Pray
that they will live a life worthy of the calling they have received (Ephesians 4:1)
Pray
that God will fulfill their every good purpose and that the name of the Lord
Jesus may be glorified in them (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
Pray
that they will be active in sharing their faith (Philemon 1:6)
If the problem is spiritual, then only spiritual weapons can fight it. So keep praying. As John Bunyan said, "Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan."
