With all the attention on the Singapore’s inaugural F1 Night Race, many other Singaporeans like myself are also gearing up for annual Singapore Marathon by Standard Chartered in December.

Like any marathon, staying ahead and to keep on keeping on is the challenge. Ask any veteran and they will agree that besides stamina, the real battle is in the mind in focusing on the finishing line.

Life is like a marathon

Ever wonder how easy it is to slow down when you see others behind you when you’re ahead? Or how tempting it is to give up with the many excuses that arises at the half-way point?

If you follow on, I think you will agree with me that running a marathon is so parallel to our journey in life. For instance, when our culture in general accepts pre-marital sex, isn’t it easy to give in to the crowd and lower our moral standards?

In the marketplace where integrity may not be highly practice and compromised for quick personal promotion, isn’t it easy for us to conform in order not to lose out?

In our Christian community, we may also start to look at our peers and conclude that since most are not serving or obeying God around me, then it is alright that I don’t to either.

Running with excellence

Like running in a marathon, in life we need to look onwards and keep going forward. Allowing complacency to creep in would prove detrimental. And to focus, requires a much needed paradigm shift.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

Instead of choosing to look at those around us or behind us, we need to learn how to tune our focus on a leader who is setting a high standard. In the case of moral and godly excellence, we have Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as we run this marathon of faith in our lives, let’s not aim low or live our faith in mediocrity by following the majority- the wide gate (c.f. Matthew 7:13).

Today, choose to set a high standard by fixing our eyes on Jesus who has ran ahead of us for us to follow.