People around the world love sports. In fact, we might say that sports have become a religion to some, and the athletes who compete often are revered as gods.

The apostle Paul uses a sports analogy to describe the Christian journey. There is a race to be run—a goal that awaits us. Some of these goals can be run each day, while others—like the ultimate goal of finding our life in Christ—are eternal.

Much of the life of faith consists of perseverance, persistence, consistency, and faithfulness. In fact, if we live in Christ and if Christ lives in us, we find that we are energized by love and generosity, by helpfulness and service. These attributes allow us to run the longer distance, knowing that life is not a sprint but a marathon. Most often, our life’s journey is filled with any number of valleys and demanding hills. But we don’t get to the finish line without struggle, without sacrifice. God’s strength, however, prepares us to go the distance.

These details of the Christian life remind me of my grandparents, who lived at the intersection of many changes in their lifetimes. Transportation, energy, and communication technologies all changed, and yet they were able to embrace these changes and make their journey through faithfulness and helpfulness.

We live in a time of no less adaptation—the world is ever changing, and changing rapidly. But we can approach our life’s journey with faithfulness and perseverance.

Today is just another leg of the journey, but it counts. Run your best. Finish strong. And then press on.