Run the Race of Faith
Hebrews 12:1-3
12 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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
I love running. It is one of those activities which I really enjoy. I don’t run as often as I should, but it is such an incredible experience to be running outside in nature and even partaking in races.
Sometimes the races are tough and certain things can make running theses races difficult. Such as injury/lack of fitness, which can make the whole experience unpleasant.
Yet there are elements which make running these races enjoyable, such as never being alone. There are fellow runners that run alongside you and you have people on the sidelines cheering you on. Sometimes they don’t know you and yet they cheer you on, which motivates you to push on to reach the finish line. Further, each runner does not run aimlessly, but rather everyone is focused on running well for themselves to finish the race, either for a good finishing time or personal victory of finishing the race within the cut off point.
Now, the Christian life is also referred to as a race. This race is not against other people, rather it is you alone, running your own race. This race is not a sprint, rather it is a marathon with various stages to it. Each of us are at different stages of our races. Some are in the final stretch which can be a sprint, while others have just begun their race.
In this well-known passage of Hebrews, the writer starts with expressing how being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (v.1), the believers who have gone before us, those who have run the race before us, who are now cheering us on, as we run our races. This is motivation to us to press on.
The writer goes on to speak about throwing off sin (v.1). As a runner, you don’t want any baggage or excess items to prevent you from running your race well. Sin can prevent us from running our races well and can keep us away from reaching our goal of finishing the race. It can disqualify us from the race, which we need to be aware of. The writer goes on to encourage us, to run the race with perseverance (v.1). Perseverance, referring to the idea of never giving up and to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (v.2), who has faced the cross for us, who is seated at the right hand of God the Father(vv.2-3). This should encourage us all to not lose heart as we run our races, whether it be at the start, the half way mark or at the end of it.
So, in conclusion, Do not give up, as you run your race. Remember the crowd of witnesses who have gone before you, who are cheering you on. Remember to throw off sin and to fix your eyes on Jesus. Keep him at the focus of your race as you aim to finish well. Remember, Jesus is cheering you on and wants you to finish your race well. Let us aspire to run the race well as we seek to glorify Christ in all that we do.
Matthew Christy
