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, 23 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
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.
Here I see a finish line like no other - one that leads to heaven. Even more striking in this passage are the messages that teach us HOW to run the race:
- "run with perseverence"
- "fix[ing] our eyes on Jesus"
- "for the joy set before him"
The underlying message is that we are to run on earth with a vision of the finish line - of heaven. This requires us to fix our eyes on Jesus DURING the race, and we are to run with perseverance DURING the race. What is not said here but is said elsewhere in scripture is that:
- we are to be good stewards of our time, treasures, talents (Luke 12:48)
- we are to gain strength and speed in our running ability over time (Hebrews 5:12-14)
These messages require that we have a vision of BOTH our time on earth (so that we can properly run the race) and of heaven (the ultimate finish line). The former is something I have been thinking quite a bit about - a spiritual scorecard.
My Prayer: Lord, You ran the race here on earth like no other and the finish line that You set before us is unlike any other finish line. To be in Your kingdom, to have You as our God as the ultimate coach, mentor, father, etc. is awesome! Yet I don't train and run as You desire me too - Lord please forgive me for this. Help me build up my strength and endurance and help me fix my eyes on You and focus on the ultimate finish line.
