Months ago I registered to run in a marathon this spring.

Registering was the easy part. The effort required to meet the goal that I set on that snowy December day continues right down to now.

A marathon

A marathon is only 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers). "Only," because in order to get in condition to run that far, a person must log hundreds of miles (or an even higher number of kilometers).

The only way I could make time to train was to set the alarm clock for several hours before dawn—every morning. Many mornings later, I can look back and appreciate how far I've come. Four months ago, running five miles was exhausting; now it's only a warm-up. I'm also five pounds lighter, despite eating five or six times a day.

But why am I sharing this with you?

Useful lessons

Aside from the fact that the rapidly approaching race date makes it hard to think about much else, I also see some useful lessons in this experience:

• Having a clearly defined goal is vital to almost any major accomplishment. The Bible says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18, King James Version).
• Vigorous exercise and a healthy diet will do wonders to improve a person's health.
• Freezing rain and running do not go well together (less important, but still memorable).
• Preparing for a marathon parallels life as a Christian—which is what I see as most important.

I was optimistic last winter when I committed to this race—just like many young people are enthusiastic when they determine to live as Christians. But I wasn't thinking then of how tough the training would be, or of the pain. I've had sore feet, aching muscles, shin splints and more. And that is how life sometimes seems, even for vertical thinkers like you!

One tough apostle named Paul surmised, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). You will find "Worthy to Suffer Shame" to be a very interesting read.

From what I've said so far, you might think that running a marathon and living a godly life are both way too much work. Not so, at least definitely not the part about godly living. (I have to say that to run a marathon, a person must love running—and be a little bit crazy!)

Rewards

What I haven't yet commented on are the tremendous rewards that come from sticking it out to the end.

This won't be my first marathon, although it will be the first in many years. Having made it to the end in earlier races, I know from experience that the feeling is wonderful! It brings a sense of accomplishment and confidence that can hardly be described with words. It makes all the hurting and suffering worth it.

It's like that being a Christian, and you don't even have to wait until the end to start enjoying the rewards.

After years of this way of life, I can say that the difficulties and pain that come along are absolutely nothing compared to the happiness and benefits. It's this good now, and I know that it will only get much, much better!

During His ministry, Jesus made the simple statement, "But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). He could just as well have been talking about training for a marathon, but the goal at the end of a Christian's life is infinitely greater.

I'll remember that when the alarm goes off and I'm pulling out my running shoes. VT