Persevere: Run the Race

Hebrews 12:1-2
"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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I love these verses!  The author stated before this all the great men of the faith like Abraham and Moses who believed God and had great faith in God.  These are the witnesses that we are surrounded by virtually.  They are in heaven watching us perhaps. 

The scripture then says that we are to "throw off everything that hinders."  What are things that hinder us?  Most of the time it is idols such as money, relationships, success, friends.....we let things of this world become obstacles in our path to following God.  Like the seed that fell among the thorns and so was choked out, we often willingly let thorns come into our lives that hinder our spiritual growth.

"And (throw off) the sin that so easily entangles us."  It was once said that there will be three gateways to hell; lust, greed and pride.  All sin stems from these three things, and pride is really at the root of them all.  These things entangle us.  They are Satan's tools, his webs, to get us bound up and trapped.  The deeper we go into sin, the more stuck we get.  But these verses are urging us throw off these things that hinder and entangle us.  Break free!  Get loose of the webs!

Then it states that we are to "run with perseverance."  I used to run cross country and I know how extremely tired you get at the end of a race.  It is so hard to keep going when all you want to do is collapse and lay down.  The Christian life is often like that.  We are towards the end of a particular race and we just want to give up and lay down.  We want to bench ourselves.  We don't want to keep pushing ourselves.  It seems too hard.  But God calls us to "run with perseverance."  Right when when we want to give up, that's when we need to run harder.  Right when we don't want to go somewhere because we are scared, that is exactly where we need to go.  We need to dive in head long.  Never give up.  Never back down. 

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus."  If you are running in a race, it is hard to run forward if you are always looking off to the sides.  You might loose your balance.  You might trip over something.  Therefore, we are to fix our eyes dead ahead of us, ON Jesus.  He is the one we are running to.  He is our goal.  Our focus should be on the after life and heaven and ETERNITY with Jesus.  If we keep our eyes focused on that "the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."  So turn your eyes upon Jesus, and keep them there! lol  Don't get distracted.  Don't get side tracked by anything in this world.  It is fleeting anyways.  It is all temporal and fickle.  Keep your focus on Him, because He is all that matters.  He is the finish line of this race we call life. 

The verses states that Jesus "endured the cross," reminding us that he was tortured in the worst way possible.  He was beaten and abused and spit on.  We may face trials in this life, but nothing we go through could possibly compare to what he had to go through.  He experienced the worst pain imaginable.  But it says that he "endured the cross" "for the joy set before Him."  What was this joy?  Was it that He knew that by dying for us we could all one day have a party in heaven with His Father?  Was it that he saw the pay off of his labor and his efforts?  He knew in the end it would be worth it.  He had faith that God was going to change the ENTIRE WORLD through what He did. 

 Do we believe God can change the world through what we do?

What happened to Jesus after he endured the cross?  He "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Will we one day be before the throne of God?  Yes.  Can we have hope that our present suffering will "achieve a glory for us that far outweighs them all?"  Yes.  We will someday inherit a crown of life for running in this race, for running with perseverance toward Jesus? Yes.

Is running easy?  No.  It is hard.  Sometimes really hard.  You will get tired.  You will want to give up.  But don't.  Don't bench yourself.  Don't take yourself out of the game.  There is still a lot of the race to be run.  Keep running.  Keep pressing on.  Keep fighting.  One day, we will all make it.  One day, we all arrive at the pearl gates of heaven.  One day, we will get to reign with Christ in heaven.  But not yet.  Not yet. 

So keep running the race.  Amen?  Amen. :)