“My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.” – James 1:2-4 CEB
Do you ever do fartlek? Fartlek is a Swedish word that means “speed play”. It is a kind of interval training where you run just as fast as you can for a time, then slow down and walk or jog for a bit to rest, and then run fast again. This alternating between periods of all-out effort and gentle exercise has been proven to help athletes grow stronger and faster more quickly than continuous exercise. Some versions of interval training use set distances or times for the different intervals, but in fartlek the runner does each portion for as long as they want, so it varies each time.
The Christian life feels like fartlek to me. It is not a smooth gentle path where every day I grow just a little closer to Jesus. Instead, it is a series of testing and struggles followed by times of relative rest. The intense times include pain and illness, family struggles, disappointment, and even intense periods of bible study and other spiritual disciplines such as many do during Lent. The relaxing times are when faith comes easy and life is a walk in the park.
Like Fartlek, the length of these times varies. Sometimes it seems like the testing times last too long. But throughout our lives, there are ebbs and flows that lead us to greater strength of faith and endurance. When looked at it this way, James says even the struggles can be an occasion for joy. So enjoy your fartlek life, and may your faith grow stronger and stronger.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark