And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and goods deeds. (Hebrews 10:24, NIV)

You may be surprised to learn that Roger Bannister is still alive. In fact, at 81 years old, he probably has a lot of golf left in him, if he chooses to play. Not that anyone knows Bannister for golf. They know him for his mile.

In the spring of 1954, with three men equally close to breaking the barrier, it was Bannister who ran history’s first mile in less than four minutes. The milestone was almost certainly far more psychological than physical, especially considering that Bannister was one of the more lightly trained athletes ever to achieve a world record of this note.

Though Bannister had held the four-minute mile before his mind for some time, he knew that his window of opportunity was closing, as his main rivals, Wes Santee and John Landy, pushed up against the mark several times in late 1953 and early 1954. So while strong winds on May 6 nearly caused Bannister to jettison his attempt, when the winds died, he reset his mind and went for it. His time: 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.

But of greater interest to us today are two men named Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher. They were Bannister’s teammates and the men who paced the race for the record-breaker. Chataway would go out fast, pulling Bannister along, as it were. Brasher would jog lightly until Bannister nearly lapped him, then take over for Chataway and lead the sprint to the end. Without Chataway and Brasher, Bannister may never have been Bannister. History could have chosen another.

I thought of Roger Bannister this week when, just four weeks after Paul Goydos had done it and just a day after playing alongside D.A. Points’ close call, Stuart Appleby posted the PGA Tour’s fifth-ever 59. Years and years to get three; four weeks to add two. And we won’t fail to mention Ryo Ishikawa’s 58 on the Japanese Tour or 17-year-old Bobby Wyatt’s 57 in the Alabama State Junior last month.The dam appears to have broken in the world of golf. And, like Bannister’s record, the 60 plateau is more likely to be a psychological barrier than a physical one. How greatly we are moved by this one little truth: If he (or she) can do it, why can’t I?

The writer of Hebrews did not miss the advantages of “positive peer pressure.” Together as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to think openly about how we can help each other do what is “good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:9, NLT). Then we are to do it.

The Greek paroxusmon, which is rendered in today’s passage as “spur,” can literally mean “irritate.” We are to drive each other crazy in provoking one another to do our holy best!

One more thing you should know about Roger Bannister. His record stood more briefly than any other mile standard in history. Little more than six weeks later, Landy bettered the 3:59.4 by a second and a half. Which only served to push Bannister to victory when the two met head-to-head later that summer in “The Miracle Mile.” Challenging one another is no stop-and-go affair. We can spur each other today and then again tomorrow, rightly desiring one another to love as Jesus loved and do good to all who need it.

(This blog entry is jointly running as the Links Daily Devotional for Thursday, August 5, at www.linksplayers.com.)