The hardest part of any race is fought and won on the back roads where no one sees you or cheers you on. To win, you must keep going and not give up. In his epistles, the apostle Paul compared the Christian life to an athletic race, referring to the importance of perseverance when he said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Some Christians start their race with great energy, but reach a point of giving up and dropping out. What is necessary for taking this walk all the way to the finish line?