“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 NLT


Like many Americans yesterday, you might have been saddened by the news that our very own Eliud Kipchoge, who was favored to win but made a mistake he couldn’t recover from, came in 6th place as reported by the Washington Post: Evans Chebet repeated as the men’s champion at the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday, while Hellen Obiri, a fellow Kenyan, won the women’s race for her first marathon victory on a cool, rainy day in Boston. Chebet finished in 2 hours 5 minutes 54 seconds, with Gabriel Geay of Tanzania second in 2:06:04 and Benson Kipruto of Kenya, the 2021 Boston winner, third in 2:06:06. Chebet’s victory was unexpected even though he was the defending champion. World record holder Eliud Kipchoge was favored to win, and he ran a strong race until he missed a water station and faded fast over the final five miles before finishing sixth in 2:09:23 in his first American marathon appearance in 10 years. Wow! This story goes to show that even a small lapse in judgement can have devastating consequences. Thankfully Kipchoge didn’t let the gaffe keep him from running to the finish line though. 


And you know, when it comes to making mistakes, the Bible is very clear that we will all make them. Thankfully though, the Bible is also very clear that you and I are ‘works in progress.’ Which means that “that God, who began the good work within [us], will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Do you just love that or what? That means the process of sanctification, or being made more like Christ, will continue in spite of our inevitable mistakes until we are made perfect in His presence. 


So if you’ve made a few mistakes, don’t let it keep you from running the race my friend. Confess your shortcomings to the Lord, allow Him to cleanse you and keep pressing on, determined to make it to the finish line! This is all a part of growing more like Christ. 


Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we will all make mistake and we will all sin. Help us to recognize when we have gone astray so we can repent and get back on course Lord, knowing that You will use these times to make us more like You. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 


Happy Running!