“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1 John 5:4 ESV
In a timely story published yesterday regarding the biggest marathon in the world and one of the Six Marathon Majors that took place on Sunday, the following was reported: With an uphill surge in the 20th mile, Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia broke his final competitor and ran solo to win the 2023 New York City Marathon in 2:04:58. Tola’s time broke the previous course record of 2:05:06, set by Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya in 2011, by 8 seconds… Tola used a similar strategy to win the 2022 world title. In both races, he made a significant push after the 30-kilometer mark and never relented… At the post-race press conference, Tola said he was focused on the victory, not his time.
And you know, when it comes to a believer’s strategy for gaining victory in their spiritual life, the Bible tells us that “everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Which means to reach the finish line (which must be our main focus), we must first believe in Jesus Christ since that’s the key to being born of God. But you can be sure this isn’t an initial “come-to-the-altar-and-get-saved” faith, but a consistent abiding one, with an ongoing reliance and unrelenting trust in Jesus Christ that makes a believer unwilling to compromise with the world or to follow its ways.
So keep your eyes focused on the victory that comes only though Jesus Christ my friend. Make it your goal to grow in knowledge and in faith each and every day knowing that the life of abiding and tenacious faith is the only life that is able to overcome the pressures and temptations of the world.
Heavenly Father, thank You for laying out the race strategy every believer should follow to be victorious in their spiritual walk. Help us to understand how important it is to grow our faith through daily Bible study, prayer, and meditation, that we would put forth the significant effort it takes to reach the mark of perfection. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
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