Overcoming: Devotions from Time of GraceSample

Pain Builds Stamina One of the most intense memories of my high school years was the season I ran on the cross country team. Every practice and every meet had my lungs bursting and my legs in agony. Every practice and every meet was also a mind game. Why was I subjecting myself to this torture? Would I quit the team and this stupid sport? But as I learned to run through the pain, my body and my mind got stronger. St. Paul knew that there is no gain without pain: "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3,4). Doughnuts do not build a strong body, and easy money does not build determination. Learning how to live with pain toughens us. Life, after all, is not a sprint. It is a marathon. It is a race won not by blazing speed out of the gate, but by endurance. And God wants us to meet him at the finish line so badly that he is willing to put us through some pretty intense conditioning to get us there with our faith intact. Hey--never give up!