Living a Christlike life can be very demanding. After all, we’re called to love our neighbour, and our enemies. We’re called to be gracious, generous and committed servants of others and God. Whether it be sharing our faith, working for justice or loving someone we find difficult, many Christians resemble the person who has decided to get into running. Enthused, motivated and ready to burn some fat, she buys the latest running shoes, shorts and shirt, puts them on, then runs out the door. Pushing herself harder and harder, she soon finds she’s out of breath, her body aches and she can’t go on. So much for that fad. Perhaps it’s time to give up running and try something different!

I experienced this when I accepted an invitation from a very fit friend to play in a rugby league match. We decided to train together, meeting to go on a training run. Sadly, I discovered that the mind is willing but the flesh is weak! My friend, an experienced jogger, breezed through the run, but by the time I got home I was aching all other. I sat down, and then discovered my leg muscles were so tight I literally could not stand. I had to crawl to the shower on all fours, painfully and slowly, and then crawl into bed to sleep!

The problem is I was running anaerobically while my friend was running aerobically. That means my body was using up more oxygen that it was taking in, whereas my friend’s greater fitness allowed him to run the same distance aerobically, taking in a supply of oxygen equal to the supply his body needed.

Here’s the point. Too often we try to live the Christian life anaerobically. We get fired up, and then in a burst of enthusiasm we throw ourselves at our latest challenge. Unfortunately we often find it’s overwhelming, we fall flat on our face and decide something else must be our ministry!

But serving Christ and others is like running. It needs to be done "aerobically". First, make sure you start with what you’re capable of doing. Don’t try to run a marathon if you’ve never run down the street before. Second, take time to get your spiritual "oxygen" – through worship, prayer, reflection, and so on. And third, over time build your capacity for service. How? The same way a runner does – practise and more practise.