We Were Never Meant To Run Alone

I’m not a runner. I can manage a leisurely jog around the neighborhood, but the idea of completing 26.2 miles on my own two legs feels impossible.

Yet every year, when major marathons roll around—like Boston last week—I find myself watching video after video of people doing just that. The stories that capture me aren’t the ones about the winners breaking the tape, but the runners who are barely holding it together. Legs shaking, strength fading, yet somehow they keep moving—one step at a time—until they cross the finish line.

Even more powerful are the moments when someone notices. A fellow runner slows down, wraps an arm around a stranger, and chooses compassion over competition. They put their own race on hold to help someone else simply finish.

It’s a beautiful reminder: we were never meant to do life alone.

Hebrews 10:24–25 calls us into this kind of community: “…let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect meeting together, as some do, but encourage one another…”

Faith isn’t a solo race—it’s something we live out side by side, lifting each other when the road gets hard. Some days, we’re the ones struggling to take the next step, with weak legs and untied shoes. Other days, we’re strong enough to come alongside someone else. Both roles matter.

So today, take a look around. Who might need encouragement? Who could use someone to walk with them for a while?

Maybe they don’t need someone to carry them across the finish line—but they’d be grateful for a friend to take the next step with them.

God honors our willingness to help those around us. And sometimes, the best way to win isn’t to run faster—it’s to help someone else keep going.

~ Amanda