I read a joke recently that went like this: “I never run with scissors. (That last part was unnecessary.)” Get it? I never run with scissors. Some people exercise for fun, but I have to make myself do it, and I’m really good at talking myself out of it. I’m too tired, too busy, too whatever to get sweaty.

There are several parallels in the Bible to exercise, specifically, running. If you are like me and running isn’t your thing, then I encourage you to think about the stories in a context that is meaningful to you. In Galatians 5:7, for example, Paul encourages the reader to not let people cut in on you and detract you from the race, but in the next verse, he references cooking—about how a little bit of yeast works its way into the whole batch of dough.

So, is Paul only addressing runners and chefs? What is he really trying to tell all of us? I think he’s saying that bad influences (of all sorts) can derail us from God’s plan. When we give in to negative persuasion a little, then it has a way of wrecking our lives entirely.

James talks in similar terms about sticking with the plan God has for us. In Chapter 1, he actually says that we should be joyful when our faith is tested. When we push through the trial and stay on track with the Lord, then we develop perseverance to help us face the next trial. (If I ever stuck with jogging long enough to develop a habit, then I’ve heard that something similar happens to us physically when we run regularly: we develop perseverance to run farther, faster.)

Maybe it isn’t a footrace that you are facing in life right now, but surely there is an area where God wants you to persevere. Stay the course and rely on him to give you your second wind.