RUNNING TOGETHER: WHY WE NEED EACH OTHER IN THE RACE OF FAITH
It’s mile fourteen of the Pittsburgh Marathon. Laura Mazur is running her twelfth marathon, but she’s worried about finishing last. Jessica Robertson is attempting her first marathon, and she's ready to give up. Two strangers, both struggling, both wondering if they can make it to the finish line.
That’s when something beautiful happens.
They start talking. They decide to run together. “I’ll stay with you if you stay with me,” Mazur tells Robertson. For the next twelve miles, they encourage each other, support each other, and keep each other going. When they reach mile twenty-six, Mazur grabs Robertson's hand and says, “Let's go!” They cross the finish line together.
You may have never heard that story, but even still, does it sound familiar? It should, because it’s a perfect picture of how the Christian life is meant to be lived.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).
There is a race marked out for us, but what many of us miss is that it’s NOT meant to be a solo run. We need running partners. We need a cheering section. We need people who will grab our hand when we're struggling and say, “Let's go!”
Why We Need Each Other
God exists in community – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in perfect unity for all eternity.
When Jesus came to earth, He could have lived a solitary life, but He didn’t. He created community, gathering twelve disciples to share life with Him. Why? Because He had always existed in community, and because that’s how life is meant to be lived.
We were made in the image of God, which means we were made for community.
There are over fifty “one another” commands in the New Testament:
Love one another
Encourage one another
Pray for one another
Bear one another's burdens
Confess your sins to one another
Honor one another
Show hospitality to one another
Live in harmony with one another
Be kind to one another
Forgive one another
You can live out exactly none of those in isolation. Each one requires relationship, interaction, and genuine connection with other believers.
The Heartbreak Hills
In the Boston Marathon, there's a legendary obstacle called Heartbreak Hill. It comes around mile nineteen, right when many runners “hit the wall” – when their bodies have depleted their energy stores and everything hurts. The lactic acid builds up in their muscles, oxygen becomes scarce, and they feel like they’re going to die.
Life has its Heartbreak Hills too:
The death of a loved one
A marriage crisis
Mental health struggles
A prodigal child
Financial disaster
Career setbacks
Health challenges
Spiritual doubts
That’s when we need each other most. When Jesus faced His most challenging moments, He asked His closest friends to be with Him and pray for Him. If Jesus needed support during tough times, how much more do we?
But It's Complicated...
Let's be honest: doing life in community isn’t always easy.
We've sinned – and we fear being exposed
We've been hurt – and we fear being hurt again
We're busy – and community takes time
I get it. Community is messy because people are messy. But the truth is: we’re all messy. That's why we need grace, and that's why we need each other.
Think about this: The disciples were not great friends to Jesus. Of the twelve, Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, and the others abandoned Him. Jesus knew all that would happen, but He chose to invest in them anyway. We need to choose to trust some people, even if they won’t be perfect friends. After all, we won’t be perfect friends to them either.
The Benefits Are Worth It
Research shows that people with strong community connections are happier, healthier, and live longer than those who are isolated. One study found that people with unhealthy habits (smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise) but strong social connections lived longer than people with great health habits but weak social ties.
But it’s more than just health and happiness. In community:
We grow through encouragement and accountability
We heal through vulnerability and support
We learn through sharing and discussing
We serve through using our gifts for others
We thrive through living as God designed us to live
The Harvard Grant Study followed people for 75 years to answer one question: Why are happy people happy? The consistent answer? People with the strongest relational ties are the happiest people. One psychiatrist involved said, “Connection is the whole shooting match.”
When the Race Gets Hard
Remember Derek Redmond? In the 1992 Olympics, he was running the 400-meter semifinal when he tore his hamstring. As he struggled to continue, limping and crying in pain, his father Jim burst through security and ran onto the track. He put his arm around his son, and together they finished the race.
That's what Christian community looks like. Sometimes we're Derek, needing someone to help us finish. Sometimes we're Jim, coming alongside someone who's hurting. Either way, we're better together.
Take Action
You don’t have to run alone. Depending on where you are currently, can I encourage you to take one of these next steps?
Find a church that values community
Join a small group
Be honest about your struggles
Let others pray for you
Yes, it might feel awkward at first. Yes, it requires risk. But remember Laura and Jessica from the marathon? They were strangers who became partners. They finished together what they couldn’t finish alone. That's how we finish this race of faith – together. Isn't it time you stopped running alone?
If you want to explore this topic more, check out the book I recently released: Holy Habits: How to Walk with Jesus for a Lifetime, which is available on Amazon.
*If this has been helpful, please send me a message and let me know at brad@bradjenkins.me. And please help me by sharing this post with others who could benefit from it. My writing aims to help people enjoy a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you.
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