This past summer we were witnesses to some really fast athletes in the summer Olympics – and not just the runners. There were cyclists, rowers, swimmers and more who got ready in the starting blocks to begin the race they had been prepping for for four years. In our more mundane lives we, too, find ourselves in the starting block in many scenarios – work, relationships, battling disease and more. Really, our life is like a race of sorts – though more like a marathon than a sprint. Life is really about what happens during the race or journey, not at the finish line. In a race, we measure our progress compared to others, and that’s not always good. We need to pace ourselves, and compare our lives, to standards rather than to others. Standards like the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These qualities are why our life’s race is a long marathon. These are unattainable by mere mortals. Nevertheless, they are how we should pace ourselves. Grandiose dreams for a winning finish are often dashed by failure in these nine areas. So let’s all train for strengthening ourselves in each of these areas and our race will result in personal victory!