What Is a Worthy Run?

So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

— 1 Corinthians 9:26–27

Under the cover of night, British troops rounded up colonists wandering the streets of Haddonfield, New Jersey, and locked them up for the night. Eighteen-year-old Jonas was one of those imprisoned. An apprentice to a local blacksmith, Jonas walked several miles from his home in Deptford to his employer’s forge every day. But on the morning of October 22, 1777, he had a different route to take.

Having overheard his captors plan to attack nearby Fort Mercer in the morning, Jonas Cattell knew he had to beat them to the fort, or it would be lost. In the misty morning he raced nearly ten miles to Fort Mercer, arriving nearly three hours before the British troops. Upon hearing Jonas’s warning, Colonel Christopher Green re-positioned the artillery and prepared his soldiers. Outnumbered three-to-one, the Americans soundly defeated their attackers, giving the Continental Army a much needed victory on the way to independence.

A teenager changed the course of history by running ten miles. He knew his destination, and he remained focused on his goal.

The Apostle Paul pointed out the importance of a runner being disciplined and focused, and he compared it to the Christian life. Our race is so much more than ten miles. It is a daily pursuit to grow in faith and become more like Christ. To do this, we must practice spiritual exercises like reading God’s Word, praying and worshiping God. When we practice these things, we’ll be prepared to do the work God calls us to do.

Today’s One Thing

Spend ten minutes doing spiritual exercises.

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