Jacob slid open the balcony door and set his coffee and laptop on the small patio table. It would be a hot one today, but the early morning weather was perfect. If he had to work all day at his unfulfilling job, at least he could get some fresh air while doing so.

             Movement at the front door of the apartment caught his eye. He waved at his neighbor, Ben, who was stretching. Ben waved back, and then took off down the street, his running shoes propelling him into the distance.

            Jacob shrugged. Never knew Ben was a runner. Then again, Jacob rarely sat out on the balcony. He powered up his laptop and logged into his email. Thirty minutes later, a distant figure approached. Jacob lifted his hand to his brow and squinted into the sun as the figure grew larger. Ben was on his way back, still running full-steam. Ben slowed when he reached the driveway leading to the building, then halted in front of the door.

            “Have you been running this whole time?”

            Ben turned toward Jacob’s patio. “Just ran five miles.”

            “Do you do that every morning?”

            “I run four to five days a week.”

            “Five miles?”

            Ben wiped his forehead with the corner of his shirt. “No, I do more on the weekends. I’m running in the city marathon in October.”

            Jacob blinked. “Wow. That’s impressive. I could never run a marathon.”

            Ben shrugged. “Sure, you could. I didn’t think I could either. I used to be 50 pounds overweight. But I ran my first marathon two years ago, and plan to improve my time each year as long as I’m able. I’m running my first triathlon in the spring. That will be a challenge. I’ll start hitting the pool hard after the marathon is over.”

            “How on earth did you go from being 50 pounds overweight to running marathons?” Jacob glanced down at his own belly, which had crept over his waistband.

            Ben rolled his neck and pulled one foot up behind him, and then the other. “One step at a time.” He hesitated for a moment and then glanced back over at Jacob. “Honestly, there are a couple of Bible verses that inspired me. The first one is Psalm 119:105. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.’”

            Jacob frowned. “I don’t get it. What does that have to do with training for a marathon?” He’d heard that verse before, but it didn’t inspire him to get off the couch and start working toward something as daunting as a marathon.

            Ben wiped his brow again. “Yeah, I know it’s not a traditional verse for that, but when you really think about it, it fits. God says the Bible is like a lamp. They had oil lamps back in those days. They didn’t have high-powered flashlights that shone 50 yards away, and they didn’t have streetlights. If they wanted to walk somewhere at night, they had a little oil lamp, which only illuminated a few steps in front of them. They had to keep taking steps and following the light in order to go anywhere. God’s word only helps us if we take the first steps He illuminates for us. He’ll show us more of the picture if we’re faithful enough to keep walking. I started walking a mile a day. Then two, then four, and then I started picking up the pace to run a quarter mile at a time. And now, I can run 26.2 miles in one day.” He glanced at his watch. “I need to hop in the shower and get ready for work, but we can talk later if you have more questions.” With a wave, Ben disappeared inside the building.

            Jacob stared at his laptop screen, not registering the screen saver flashing before him. One step at a time. Maybe he could do it, too. No, he didn’t really care about running a marathon, but maybe he could get away from this dead-end job and follow his passion. What he really loved was photography. Maybe if he took the first step and submitted some of his photos to a magazine, he could start his new future.

            A few days later, Jacob returned to his patio. Moments later, Ben ran up the sidewalk. Jacob rose to meet him. “Hey, I know you probably don’t have long, but I wanted to let you know what you said the other day really inspired me.”

            Ben raised his eyebrows. “Are you thinking of running?”

            Jacob shrugged. “Not sure. I might consider getting into shape, but what you actually inspired me to do was to follow my passion for photography. The idea of a career change was daunting, but you reminded me I only need to step out in faith a little at a time.”

            Ben grinned. “That’s great to hear, because I have another verse for you.”

            “Oh?”

            “Yeah. First Corinthians 9:24-27. I’ve got to go, but check that one out. I think you’ll get the message.” Ben trotted back inside the building.

            Jacob lifted his phone from the table and punched in the reference. He read through the verse twice. Ben was right. It wasn’t about running. It was about doing what mattered for eternity. He sent up a silent prayer, thanking God for putting someone like Ben in his path who gave him the perspective he needed.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 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.

God, sometimes we put a lot of effort into things that don’t glorify You. Please help us live our lives to win the true prize of a life with You in heaven. Thank you for your encouragement to take life one step at a time. It is amazing what we can accomplish with You as our focus and our guide. Thank you for illuminating our paths when we’re willing to take the first step. Please help us always keep our eyes fixed on Your light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.