The reward for humility and fear of the LORD
is riches and honor and life.
(Proverbs 22:4)
Running marathons has taught me several lessons in life. Two of these are found in this Proverb- fear and humility. In fact these two virtues are at the heart of the whole Book of Proverbs.
A marathon is a marathon. A runner, no matter how many marathons she or he has run may never take it lightly. Fear is a good thing. If one does not fear the marathon one can make foolish decisions. One student of mine decided to run the Chicago Marathon, just on a whim. He got up in morning of the Chicago Marathon, and decided to run it. He had not trained for it. He had not registered for it. He just decided to run it. Of course, he was 19 years old. Sadly, he was badly injured and had to drop out of the whole semester.
Fear is a good thing.
Running marathons has also taught me humility. It is 26.2 miles. One has to train for many, many miles. Each training run teaches the runner much humility. The marathon itself is a humbling experience. This is especially true when a runner reaches the 16-21 miles distance. This is when cramps set it. This is when dehydration can make running very hard. In the Boston Marathon, this is when one reaches the Heart-Break hill. This is when a runner starts asking questions like, “Will I be able to finish? I do not know if I can do this?” It takes a lot of humility to accept one’s limitations.
The Hebrew words for “fear” and “humility” are very telling.
The Hebrew word for “fear” is yirah. In the Hebrew Bible this usually parallels the phrase, YHWH Yireh, which in Genesis 22 is translated “The LORD will provide.” Literally it is, “The LORD sees.” In Genesis 22 Abraham obeyed God, when he asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac. In response God says, “I know that you fear God.” (Genesis 22:12). Abraham calls the name of the place, “YHWH Yireh, literally, the LORD sees.” (Genesis 22:14).
In the Hebrew Bible, when one fears God and situations. These are occasions to see God.
When you and I fear God, he sees our condition, and we also see him with greater clarity. This is what happens in a marathon race.
The Hebrew word for “humility” is anah. It is a word which is often used to describe people who are subjected to oppression and slavery. As a result of systemic oppression these people are calledanav. They are driven to a state of extreme poverty (Psalm 9:12, 18).
Running a marathon enables the runner to experience, in some measure, what the poor and the persecuted experience. The oppressed people are always trying to run away from the oppressors.
I often wonder why the best marathon runners come from the oppressed people groups of Africa.
Running marathons is truly the best way to learn these two crucial biblical virtues: Fear of the LORD and humility.
A Prayer:
A LORD, as I run this life’s marathon, please help me learn how to fear you, and to live a humble life, so that I may see you with clarity, and so that I may know the suffering of the poor.
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