Endurance for the Race

Romans 5: 3-5  ³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
 
Endurance is something I can relate to as a long distance runner. I love a long run, am I sick to enjoy that burning feeling in my lungs? Probably. As I run (especially when outside) I feel so close to God, out in the nature He created relying on Him to help me finish the race. With each mile, it just gets harder. In high school, as a cross country runner, I would tell myself, "Ok, make it to the tree or that hill," and as soon as I made it to my goal, I'd make another one and so on. Something to help keep my mind off the task at hand. Before long, I realized how therapeautic it was. On a bad day, I'd go run. The edorphins from running and the quiet to think was just the trick to heal the wounded heart or stressed out brain.
 
As with any kind of exercise, the more you do it, the easier it gets and more you can add on to your routine, or in my case, the more miles you can run. So with life as we face trials, we're running a race, a spiritual race. There's so many wrong ways to handle problems: drinking, drugs, overeating, anger and so on. When we face our problems head on with God by our side, admitting we can't do it without Him, our character builds and each and every trial, while probably just as painful as the last (depending on what it is) can get easier, because when you learn to bring it to Him, when you rest in the Lord of peace, when you "Trust in the Lord and lean on not your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)," you're not doing the race alone. Instead, God is carrying you the rest of the way.