Jump Into The Race
By Jeremy Lim, Session Elder
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, 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. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)
I never enjoyed running track. I wasn’t very fast, and I hated losing (two things that don’t go well together in a sport like track). Thankfully, the other three guys on my high school freshman 4x100m relay team were really fast. And by the championship meet at the end of the season, we knew that if we ran well we would win the race. As much as I didn’t enjoy track, this race was fun! We knew we could win, so the goal wasn’t to win as much as it was to run the race well.
I’ve always been a team sports kind of guy. I love how the author of Hebrews reminds us that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” before talking about the race in front of us. We are not in this alone. We are on a stacked team for whom winning is a forgone conclusion. In fact, the race has already been won (John 16:33)! But the race still needs to be run.
Jesus invites us to join His winning team, and He wants us to live with the confidence this provides.
But I’m not very fast; I don’t have much to offer; I’m carrying too much baggage; I can’t overcome these other challenges or addictions in my life; I’m too busy; I’ll join later...
He knows the race will not always be easy. He knows that throwing off the hindrances and sin in our life can be incredibly difficult. And so He gives us the only solution to these challenges: fix our eyes on Him. The Message version of this verse says: Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it.
Study how Jesus ran the race well. Don’t forget those who came before you and those who are running alongside you right now. If you feel like you’re watching from the sideline, jump into the race. If you’re running but aren’t running well, get rid of the things that are slowing you down. If you’re running well, look for others who you can support and encourage along the way.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for wanting me to be on Your team. Thank You for showing me, through the life You lived, how to run with perseverance and joy. Help me to get out there and do it! For Your Name, Amen.
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