'Running the race'

If you have ever run a marathon, you will know that the motivation to achieve such an awe-inspiring feat is often cultivated externally: a running app that rewards you for maintaining a certain pace; a trainer or partner who shouts messages of encouragement at you; or having a goal in mind, such as raising lots of money for charity. All of these factors can help you to do the thing you set out to do and make it over the finish line to the promise of a cold drink or a hot bath at the end.

 

In the letter to the Hebrews, Paul draws on the same metaphor for the life of faith (Hebrews 12.1-2); sounding much like a personal trainer for those who are feeling discouraged, downtrodden, or under great stress. He extolls us not to let go of the things that weigh us down and gives us an image of the finish line and tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, persevering until we can enjoy the fullness of his presence in the new life he has promised us. It is normal for motivation to fluctuate, but without external support like that offered by Paul and the wider community, we can struggle to maintain our impetus.

 

Insights from sports science tell us that motivation is greater for elite team athletes in situations where there is a more psychologically-supportive environment; where they feel less judged and are safer to take risks without fear of reprisal. This increases trust, well-being, team cohesion and good communication (Ryan and Deci 2017). Paul, earlier in Hebrews, reminds us too that this is not just something that they should rely on him to do for them, but that we should all 'spur one another on to love and good deeds' and 'build one another up' (Hebrews 10.24-25). This is what helps us to do the thing we set out to do, even on the hard days, and especially on the days we're struggling to find internal motivation for the task. We are running this race together and it's a marathon, not a sprint. Who could you give an encouraging word to or cheer on, on their faith journey this Easter season?