Find out seven life lessons that are bound to help you move forward with endurance. After all, how we run will determine our success.

Are you in the middle of the biggest race of your life? Perhaps it’s a course, which may have caught you off guard and calls for perseverance. So why not learn how to run the race of life like a marathoner? Find out seven life lessons that are bound to help you move forward with endurance. After all, how we run will determine our success. 

Or, perhaps your life is calm, and you are not in an unexpected trial right now. May I suggest you embrace the lessons below before the storm? Then you will be prepared to run the race of life with perseverance. Because we all know—life will hand us the unanticipated at some point along the way. 

Find out seven life lessons that are bound to help you move forward with endurance. After all, how we run the race of life will determine our success. #perseverance #mareedee #success #endurance Click To Tweet

How We Run the Race of Life Will Determine Our Success

In my last post—“How to Run the Race When Life Feels Unbearable,” I shared my biggest race and a tool that helps me when overwhelmed.

We must fix our eyes on Jesus and concentrate on arriving at the next mile marker.

I was so intrigued by how much the mile marker mantra helped me. It unleashed a curiosity inside me to find out what else I could learn from marathon runners. I wondered how do they make it to the end of the long race? So, I pursued reading and discovered some critical elements about how people compete in tests of endurance.

I may not be a runner, but let me tell you, one can learn a great deal from people who know how to go the distance. #marathoner #perseverance #runnner Click To Tweet
Find out seven life lessons that are bound to help you move forward with endurance. After all, how we run will determine our success.

How We Run: Seven Life Lessons Learned from a Marathoner

1. Community

We need to run the race of life with others. Can you imagine running a marathon all by yourself? Others will inspire us to keep going when we are weary, pick us up when we fall, and we will have the opportunity to do the same for them. 

Two are better than one,

    because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

    one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

    and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

2. Perspective

Every once in a while, we need to pull back and see the big picture. Circumstances up close can appear huge and out of control. Yet, when we step back or get a different vantage point, our outlook can change. 

Flying never ceases to amaze me. As we lift off the ground, my excitement mounts as I lift the window cover to look outside. My eyes dart to the ground and instantly start looking for the landmarks I recognize. The further up we travel, everything begins to take on a new perspective. What seemed so large up close now appears tiny and a bit insignificant. 

And then something switches inside of me as I look from house to house. The enormity of our community is evident. I look below and wonder how many people in those homes are hurting and trying to exist through unimaginable circumstances? All of a sudden it makes my problems seem not quite so big and overwhelming. However, I want you to understand my thoughts—

I believe all pain has significance, should be acknowledged, mourned, and can’t be measured. Pain is pain!

However, we can gain helpful insight by looking around. Yes, a little bit of comparing but done helpfully. You can always find someone who has more problems, more pain, and less going for them. By seeing this, we may find ourselves reaching out to help or saying to ourselves, “Well, I don’t have those conditions, so surely I can handle this.”

Equally important, we can find someone who appears to have moved through their hardship with success. Noticing this can fuel hope inside of us and inspire strength to keep going. 

3. Check Progress

We must check our advancement from time to time. It can serve as a reminder of how far we have come. Sometimes we become discouraged and bogged down by our situation and fail to notice we have made progress. All steps forward count, no matter the size. But if we haven’t marked a starting place, the small steps somehow get lost in the mix.  

When we add the small steps together, it tells a different story. Perhaps you are not where you want to be but are consistently moving in that direction. Take the time to applaud all forward motion.  

Of course, we wouldn’t want to get stuck looking at the past; one must aim for something.

4. Set a Goal 

We must know what destination we are aiming to reach. Once you have the goal in mind, breaking it down into smaller goals like mile markers will be essential, especially if it is a race of life that requires perseverance.

Remember to keep your eye on the mile marker; you only need to get to the next one. #milemarker #perseverance Click To Tweet

5. Train and Practice

Marathoners train and practice for the race. We must put in the hard work to reach the finish line. As we train and practice, we will make mistakes, stumble along the way, and want to quit, but we can’t let that stop us. 

So maybe you were thrown into unanticipated circumstances and unable to train ahead for your specific trial. That is okay. Start now, train, and practice as you go. Be consistent in your training.

Plus, you might be surprised as you look back on your life that God was preparing you all along.  He knew what was to come, and He allowed it in His timing.

Have you found this to be true?

“We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.”

Helen Keller

6. Believe the Goal is Possible

We must have faith that reaching the finish line is possible. Every step forward should be a reminder that we are capable. We can do more than we ever thought possible, especially with God close at hand. 

We must have faith that reaching the finish line is possible. #perseverance #faith Click To Tweet

7. Pace the Race

We don’t want to start too fast or too slow. We want to keep moving one step at a time in a steady manner. Of course, along the way, do not forget to rest and refuel.

Running a marathon is a test of endurance, much like life. 

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Fixing your eyes on Jesus and concentrating on the seven life lessons learned from marathoners will assist you in crossing the finish line. I have no doubt one can develop resilience and the tenacity to run the race set before them.

Do you think it matters how we run? Which of the seven life lessons will you choose to incorporate into your life this week?


To read part one, “How to Run the Race When Life Feels Unbearable,” of this series, click here.


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23 Comments

  1. All wise advice! I think it’s easy to fall into just going day to day and accepting whatever happens but really, we are meant to be much more intentional.

  2. A great message for me. I’m not good at pacing. I want everything to come together at one time. I know God doesn’t work that way, so I’m working on this one. ☺️

  3. So good and so very true! We must be in training always as Paul instructs. Thank you for sharing!

  4. Maree, I’d never really noticed this part of the scripture: “But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” I’ve always had a hard time asking anyone for help. A lot of it is because of how I grew up and has to deal with having a walk away dad at a young age. Self worth, feeling valued enough that anyone would want to help – so very many different things stem from that. It took me a long time to realize who I was to God and truly understand my worth to God, that He would want me to sit at the dinner table with him. What a good, good Father we have!

    https://bluecottonmemory.com/when-the-blue-devils-came/

    1. Maryleigh, Thank you for sharing. I’m so sorry your father walked away. I, too, struggle to ask for help, and yet I love to help others. Someone once shared with me that when we don’t allow others to help, we rob them of the joy they will receive by helping. I indeed receive a ton of pleasure when I help others. How about you?

    1. Thank you for commenting. I love hearing when my words have made an impact. I’m so thank full for my friend that got me started looking at marathoners. I am praying for you as you face your struggle. Maree

  5. This reminds me of Hebrews 12:1-2-run with endurance. Not easy on the uphill terrain, when others seem to bypass you, when you can’t see how far you’ve come. These are great life lessons to employ when life or a goal feels like running a marathon.

  6. Keeping my eyes focussed upon my Pacer Jesus is my constant in this marathon called life Maree, for He knows exactly what pace I need to be traveling at & my capacity to do so 🤗
    Bless you,
    Jennifer

    1. Jennifer, You are so right. Jesus knows the pace we need to be traveling. Your words rang true to my heart today. Thank you! I needed them.
      Maree

  7. I appreciate these lessons from a marathoners perspective, “Pace the Race. We don’t want to start too fast or too slow. We want to keep moving one step at a time in a steady manner. Of course, along the way, do not forget to rest and refuel. Running a marathon is a test of endurance, much like life.” So true! Thanks for sharing, Maree Dee.

  8. I’m not a runner, either, but these are good lessons. “Running a marathon is a test of endurance, much like life.” Amen. It helps me to remember not to concern myself about the whole distance–God will provide strength for tomorrow tomorrow. All I have to do is lean on His strength for this moment right now, and then the next, and then the next.

  9. “…maybe you were thrown into unanticipated circumstances and unable to train ahead for your specific trial”. Yup. That’s me right now. This post was helpful. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Wemi,
      I am so glad you found this post helpful. I know the principles have helped me. I am so glad I had a friend who taught me about what it is like to run a marathon.
      Maree