“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13–14)
As my husband and I pulled up to the 2026 Show Me State Games Road Race, I knew directing this year’s race would look a little different from previous years. Not only had the Salvation Army partnered with the 5K/10K, but they were on-site to honor a young man who had served with the organization from a young age. SPC Jason D. Fingar, a native of Columbia, Missouri, was killed in action during his first deployment to Afghanistan with Operation Enduring Freedom while assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
From the information provided, I shared the following with the runners:
Jason had been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, and Driver and Mechanic Badge during his military career. Jason was actively involved with The Salvation Army and was an avid musician, playing guitar, piano and brass instruments as part of The Salvation Army church band. He was a soldier at the Columbia Corps Community Center and believed that you could be a man of God and still fight for your country. He loved to read the Bible…”
I thought as I read, “Oh, how we need more men like that! Men who will stand up for their country and for God no matter the outcome or the pushback.”
Later, I discovered that Corey Phan, a member of Jason’s platoon, believed Fingar was in his platoon for a reason—to share God’s Word with his fellow soldiers. He went on to say, “God’s will was done with Jason because any time anybody was in despair, he always had a way to motivate them and tell them how he overcomes everything—through Jesus.”
Wow, right?
You know, the apostle Paul was also a man known for standing up for God no matter the outcome, and he urged his brothers and sisters at Corinth to do the same. He called them to watch, to stand fast in the faith, to be brave, and to be strong. And all of this, Paul said, was to be done with love.
This was Paul’s rallying cry for them and for us—a call for believers to remain spiritually vigilant, doctrinally steadfast, and brave in the face of cultural opposition and moral challenges. That call grows more urgent as the last days draw near and we see a rise in false teaching and persecution against God’s followers. Paul gave young Timothy the same charge:
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
That means we must be diligent to present ourselves approved to God by reading our Bibles each and every day. We cannot stand fast in a faith we do not know, and we cannot rightly divide a Word we never open.
So, knowing that the only life worth honoring is a life lived for Jesus, seek to leave a legacy worth remembering, my friend. Love God, serve others, and be a person known for courageous faith.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we are to mature in our faith and stand strong in our convictions and beliefs. Help us to be men and women of courage whose lives are worth remembering, Lord, so that we might lead others to You by the way we live. It’s in Your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
Melissa Sharp is an ultra runner and running coach who has completed more than 100 marathons and ultra marathons. Melissa has learned how to keep running the race of life for the glory of Christ even though she endured decades of domestic abuse. Melissa is a survivor. Through her daily blog thejoyfilledrunner she inspires others to live in the strength of Christ.
