by Victoria Heinecke

Discipline to run the race.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“…whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.“
1 Thessalonians 5:10b-11 New International Version (NIV)

A friend asked me to join her for her first climb up the Manitou Incline. The Incline is a trail consisting of more than 2,700 steps to a mountain top, returning via a three mile hike down Barr Trail.

We decided we would take our time, and took several breaks to savor the journey. Other hikers were there, some of whom climb daily for their morning exercise. They reach the top in about 40 minutes, then walk down the steep stairs instead of taking the longer and safer hike down Barr Trail. A few will climb up and down the steps a second time, seeming to run circles around us.

It took us about two hours to reach the top. Hikers at the top were cheering us and others as we climbed the last dozen steps. From the top, the view of Colorado Springs and the eastern plains is exhilarating.

Hiking a difficult trail requires physical training and mental discipline. Those who can hike the Incline twice in one morning are in amazing condition. No matter how long it takes to make it to the top, however, the view will be there for all, and it’s magnificent.

Everyone climbs at their own pace.

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.“
1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV

In our walk with Christ, we exercise a spiritual discipline of worship and prayer so that our lives may be a reflection of God’s love for us. There isn’t a single prescribed way to run our race. For example, we can pray seated, kneeling, or walking in nature. We can talk to God in a single conversation, or several little talks through the day.

How one develops their spiritual fitness is unique to them. Consistent discipline is what God desires.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado