“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”   Hebrews 12:1-3

I have never been more excited about what God is doing in my life than in this moment.  But, this does not come without its challenges or opposition.  Let me offer you some encouragement from those who have gone before us.  Those who can say, “Been there, done that!”

Hebrews 11 gives us a long litany of Faith Heroes who in chapter 12 are like a great cloud of witnesses or rather the former Greats who have all won the race we are running and now are sitting in the stands rooting us on.  Paul puts our life race in a perspective that we can relate to.

I remember playing sports in school.  The coach would often encourage us by saying, “Play your game” or “Just run your race.”  When you are running your race  it can become hard not to be distracted by thoughts that go through our mind or of those around us.  Again the voices of my coaches come to mind, “Keep your eye on the ball”, “Visualize the finish line.”  Is this not what God is encouraging us to do.  Listen to the advise from the verses above:

  1. There are great people rooting for you, let their words strengthen your pace.
  2. Don’t focus on your weaknesses.
  3. Run for the long haul.
  4. Run you race.
  5. Keep you eyes on Jesus.
  6. Model how you run after Him.
  7. Don”t be deterred by difficulty or what it looks like to others.
  8. There will always be opposition.
  9. Take joy in the race knowing your finish line and prize are closer with each step.
  10. Don’t give up.

Let these principles propel you.  Run your race.  I have spent a lot of my life feeling like I’m running someone elses race.  This is probably because our eyes and ears can be so distracted by other runners.  Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus who waits at our finish line.  He waits to congratulate us and give us the prize.

So get going……Ruuuuunnnnnnnnn!!!!!