The Race

Hebrews 12:1 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

The writer of Hebrews is talking about in the light of all the great pillars of faith that he had just written about in chapter 11, we should live our lives in haste to please our Savior. Get rid of fear and doubt that keeps us from fully serving Him.

But today, I want to look at this verse in the light of the fact that I will be participating in a 5K tomorrow. Me, my husband and my father-in-law will up be up before dawn to run in a race. Let me just say right now, I know I will not win. I am not having a defeatist attitude but rather am realistic. I just hope to run the whole thing and not throw up! I haven’t done anything like this in probably 4-5 years.

But I am excited. I have been working to get back into shape. Just yesterday I ran 3 miles. Ran. All the way. No stopping. I was so excited!

What if I put that kind of passion and determination into living for Christ? What if I was so committed that I spent more than my usual time in the morning studying and praying? What if I studied God’s word at multiple times during the day? Can you imagine what I would be able to do for Him?

I need to be more committed. I need to be more ready to learn about Him, to choose time with Him instead of something else. I need to set spiritual goals for myself, just as I set physical goals for myself.

The Bible is filled with such a “great cloud of witnesses” that I should have no problem getting inspired. The problem is throwing off the things that hinder me and cause me to sin. I don’t want to let those things go. I don’t know why.

But God doesn’t give up on me. He still sets out the race. He still runs beside me cheering me on. He still offers me sustenance to get me through the hard times. He picks me up when I fall. He tends to my wounds when I am broken. He’s always there, no matter what.

That’s what I am going to be thinking about tomorrow when I run my race. O, I know it is a short one. It’s not like I’m doing an Ironman or anything. But in my mind, it just as well could be. Our battles are our own. But our Defender is the same.

So this weekend, princess, I want to encourage you to run your race. Figure out what hinders you from growing closer to your Savior. And get rid of it. Choose to follow after Him in a more passionate way.

Run

Hebrews 12:1 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

This is my son’s Bible verse to learn at school this week. We were sitting around the dinner table last night going over it and discussing its meaning.

The writer of Hebrews just finished the “Faith chapter.” (You have to say it in your deepest “James Earl Jones” voice.) Don’t get me wrong. The people spoken of in the previous chapter did some amazing things and showed tremendous faith. But they were also just people. People going around living their lives and BAM! God intervenes and does something totally out of left field.

So here we are surrounded by these “great…witnesses” and what are we encouraged to do? Run. Run with all you have. The writer says to “throw off” anything that might keep us from doing our best. You see, he wrote this because he knows that we all have sins and baggage from the past that is going to slow us down.

First of all, the baggage. Forgive and forget. Like Pumba, from the Lion King, says, “You gotta put your behind in the past.” Leave it there. Don’t carry it around and let it drag you down. You can’t go back and fix it anyway!

Next, that “sin”. We all have triggers that the devil is keenly aware of. You know, those buttons we hate for him to push because they get us riled up every time. The writer says don’t get tangled up in them. Don’t fall for the bait. I have to remind my daughter of this a lot. Don’t fall for the bait your brother dangles in front of you that makes you whine!

What I’m trying to say is this, people in the “faith chapter” (did you use the voice?:-) messed up on their walk with God. And God still used them. Don’t think that because you are not perfect that God can’t use you. Throw off all that baggage and don’t fall for the devil’s bait. Run. Run as hard as you can. Run at a steady pace and don’t look back. Run toward the prize – Heaven with Him.