PERSEVERANCE.
I am no stellar athlete but our family enjoys sports.
We own several movies like 'Remember the Titans', 'Miracle' and one of our favourites, 'Cool Runnings'.
One characteristic of a successful team and ultimately a successful athlete is the quality of perseverance.  A theme of many of these movies is the underdogs overcoming their personal weaknesses and fears to battle against the champions.  They may not be the team with the most training or talent but they had the tenacity to push through the physical pain, the mental blocks and the emotional desire to quit.
I can relate to the Scriptural analogy of a Christian to an athlete.
 New Living Translation
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

1Corinthians 9:24-27  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we van imperishable. 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.

Both of these passages of Scripture emphasize the necessity of endurance and the discipline of the mind and body. There is a goal to reach: running and completing the race.  So what does this all mean to the Christian walk of faith?

No one enjoys the pain of training and practice. Who likes the burning lungs, sore muscles and sprints until you puke?  It is much more fun to actually play the game or compete in the race, right?  The thing about our Christian life is it isn't about a competition against anyone else.  We are not just training and practicing for a future competition.  The race is on right now!  Every day is the training and practice while we're living life.

My children have thrown hundreds, thousands of curling rocks in preparation for competitions.  They have taken training, played various levels of recreational and competitive games and even spent time stretching, working out and other seemingly unrelated activities to improve their game.  Why?

Their goal was to win.  They wanted to play the game to win.

In life, our goal is to win the prize.  That is, to glorify God and spend eternity with Him.  I don't want to simply exist and waste my time on earth.  I want to persevere through spiritual attack, human ridicule and life difficulties to hear my Father welcome me with those longed-for words:

Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.

It will be so worth all our prayers, sweat and tears to finish the race and receive the prize!
Am I willing to battle through the everyday opposition to being a Christian?  Am I giving up when there seems to be no support and no hope?  
In the first Scripture taken from Hebrews 12, we are instructed to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who had to persevere  and set the example for us.  It can be done, friends!  Jesus finished His race and is waiting for you and me at the finish line!
Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/search/#ixzz2vwvoT