23rd tournament at Wimbledon

Millions will be watching a tennis match scheduled for later today.
Not because they have heard of either of the players; John Isner of
the U.S. is seeded 23rd in the tournament at Wimbledon; his opponent,
Nicolas Mahut of France, is ranked 148th in the world.  The interest
is there because these two warriors have already played for 10 hours -
in the same match!

Let's have a quick refresher on the rules of tennis.  To win a match a
player must win three sets (men's rules).  To win a set, he must win
six games, and he must win by at least a margin of two games.  If the
match goes to a fifth set, they play for as long as needed until one
of them has a two-game margin.

Isner and Mahut played close to three hours to get through four sets.
The fifth set has been going for 7 hours, 6 minutes and counting.  The
match began on Tuesday, but was suspended because of darkness.  The
same happened on Wednesday.  At 3:30 p.m. today they will try again to
reach a decision.  (No previous match in professional tennis history
has ever gone nearly so long.)

I shake my head in amazement as I consider what these two are doing.
Would I hang in there for so long?  I frankly doubt it.  For one, I
know my body couldn't endure it.  But even if the body was able, would
I be willing to keep slugging it out?  Or would I deliberately flub
just so I could get back to the locker room and down some more
Gatorade?  There would be no shame in such an act after battling for
so long.

The apostle Paul once wrote about the need for endurance in living the
Christian life: "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,
but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.
Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an
imperishable crown" (1 Corinthians 9:24,25).

Isner and Mahut are a long way from winning the coveted championship
at Wimbledon.  No one gives either of them much of a chance.  But even
if they did, they would be handed a silver cup which would soon
tarnish and would someday be destroyed.  Compare that to the prize
awaiting all Christians who successfully finish their assigned course!

But living faithfully can be so draining!  We sometimes wonder if it's
worth the effort.  Why not just flub the next serve and join the
spectators in the stands?  One inspired writer pointed to others who
had endured, and then gave this exhortation: "Therefore we also, since
we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).  If we
need additional motivation, he tells us to look to the example of
Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

People haven't changed very much in the 2,000 years since that epistle
was written.  Our temptation to throw in the towel was felt by those
Christians long ago: "Therefore do not cast away your confidence,
which has great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that after
you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Hebrews
10:35,36).

Take some time to contemplate the slugfest making headlines at
Wimbledon.  Then ask: "If they can hang in there in hopes of winning
some metal trophy, why can't I keep going as I run for the eternal
prize?"

-- Timothy D. Hall