Life is a marathon that is held in far from ideal conditions. Every runner trains hoping for the perfect weather, temperature, humidity, and dew point. The weather, health, and course all impact how grueling race day will be, and with so many factors, getting them to all line up is unrealistic. The course will be uneven with potholes, the weather will change over the duration of the race, and the body’s condition is unknown. But when the race gun fires, it’s time to run.

Perseverance is core to the human experience. A life of 70, 80, or 90 years means we have tens of thousands of days to fill. We not only have to survive, but thrive. Constancy is not a feature of nature, meaning our ability to adapt is equally important to our ability to survive. We have this life for a reason, and the long runway gives us every possible opportunity to course correct and get things right.

We are uniquely made, but our purpose is to conform. The more we conform ourselves to God, the more fully alive we become. When His thoughts are my thoughts, when His will is my will, when His plans are my plans, I live the life I was created for. Growing in holiness and reverting to the mean is an excellent thing, but it introduces a different tension. The closer I am to God, the less I want to participate in this world.

Our continued existence in the world is God’s will for us here and how. If He did not want us to be here, it would not be so. We are irreplaceable, specially made to fill a place in time and space. We have a gift that no one else can give. But still, especially in difficult times, we yearn for what comes next. We crave that peace and fullness that God has promised to those who run the race well.

This is where perseverance as a virtue carries us through. We are not perfect, and the time we spend severing ties with our attachments better prepares us for the next life. We may long for what comes next, but our job here is not yet done. We are still needed.

Giving up is the easiest thing to do. Self-selecting into comfort and idleness means a lack of difficulty in the moment. But if I spent six months or a year preparing for race day, what does it say about my character if I sleep in? What good was the preparation if, when it counted, I didn’t show up? That is perseverance. In the good times, in the times when my star is rising, I prepare for those days when life is not so easy. And when I do the difficult things, I obtain the benefits of virtue that only practicing them can bring. It’s a will to win that carries me across the finish line at mile 26.2.