July 2026  by Bailey McKinley

Run Your Race, Girl

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”
Hebrews 12:1

How do you feel about routines? Are you the kind of person who starts each day with a carefully planned to-do list, or do you prefer to wake up, embrace the morning, and see where the day takes you?

I definitely fall into the first category.

I’m what Jennifer Dukes Lee calls a “daybreak doer” – someone who thrives on starting the day with purpose and momentum. There’s something deeply satisfying about beginning the morning with a few meaningful accomplishments that set a positive tone for everything that follows.

Of course, whether your routine is structured down to the minute or simply includes a few intentional habits, they all require one essential ingredient: discipline.

Discipline = Positive Progress

Self-discipline is defined as “the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one believes is right despite the temptation to abandon it.”

Anyone striving toward a meaningful goal must develop some measure of discipline in order to succeed.

Whether it’s training for a race, pursuing a career, building healthy habits, or growing in our relationship with Christ, lasting progress doesn’t happen by accident.

It is cultivated through intentional, consistent choices made day after day.

Wisdom Shared: Learning From Others

Jen Santiago, Co-Founder of Reload Love and a friend of Sheologie, shared a powerful comparison between training for a race and growing in our faith.

Just as runners follow a training plan with discipline and intentionality to prepare for race day, our walk with Jesus also requires discipline if we want to grow spiritually.

Drawing from Hebrews 12, she encourages us to run the race of life with perseverance.

Since we are surrounded by countless examples of faith, let us let go of every burden and every sin that entangles us, and faithfully run the race set before us with endurance.

Endurance doesn’t happen by accident, it is developed over time knowing God’s got it.

As we’ve all experienced, the race of life sometimes feels smooth and effortless, but more often it is challenging and requires perseverance.

In the same way that becoming a runner takes consistent practice, growing in our faith requires intentional spiritual disciplines that keep us rooted in Christ and actively maturing. 

Faith Is A Verb

Simply put, it is something we live out each day.

Girl, it’s time to get back into the race.

As Jen S. wrapped up her powerful teaching, she left us with a few questions to prayerfully consider:

• Have you benched yourself and taken yourself out of the race?
• Have you conformed to the patterns around you because the race became too hard?
• Is there sin entangling you and weighing you down?
• Are you in the race practicing all the disciplines in obedience but weariness is dragging at your heals?

Whatever is weighing you down, pour it out before the Lord and surrender it to Him today.

He never intended for you to carry those burdens alone.

In the words of Jen S., “Fix your eyes on Jesus. Stay in the running, don’t give up.”

Keep pressing on.

Keep the faith.

The One who called you is faithful, and He will give you the strength to endure every step of the race.

Until next time, shine bright, sisters-
Not for praise, but for the One who saves.
Bailey