Running Your Race
Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith..."
The arena was nearly empty except for a few thousand when the sounds of sirens in the distance echoed through the night. The people in the arena soon saw with flashing lights of emergency vehicles when a runner, with blood-stained bandages, came through the tunnel and onto the track. The man had dislocated his knee in a fall during the race, yet, with steel determination, this lone runner crossed the finished line alone.
During the race, eighteen runners had quit, yet, this bloody and bandaged man was unbeaten.
#1. Stay in your own lane
In Hebrew 12, the writer speaking of the cloud is an arena for races in bible times. The witnesses are people of their faith in God long gone, such as Moses, Abraham, and more watching us as we compete in the race God has placed before us. One version of the Bible says "marked," and you can imagine the races of today. Someone painted the stripes, so the runner remains in their lane during the 50-yard dash. No athlete would go to the Olympic Committee, suggesting the lines be redrawn for their personal pleasure. They are the authority for all the Olympics, and if you are going to participate, you will do what the Committee expects.
The same way with God, the only Authority has determined the race each believer will run. Some lives will be shortened by death, and so their race may be more like a 100-yard dash, but others will run the race, like a cross-country marathon. The problem is one believer looks at another and compares their faith and practice to the other. No athlete running a race would turn his head to see who is behind him. Instead, he places his entire focus on crossing the finish line.
#2 Get rid of your encumbrances
In the ancient Greek sporting contests, the athletes would compete sans clothing. This same picture here tells us we are to lay aside every weight. Years ago, we held a youth retreat with this verse in mind. We told them the weight could be anything that takes their focus away from the Lord: music, friends, and even church. An athlete has someone as a coach directing his training and giving him encouragement along the way, but if the athlete's focus is not on his coach, he does not get what he needs to compete.
It is the same result for Christians who fail to listen to our coach. Jesus prayed God would send another like him to help the disciples. His name is the Holy Spirit. He teaches, guides, corrects, and more for each believer. But if we allow this world to get into the way, we can not compete to the full. These two verses are speaking about one thing: faith. The author had just told us who was in the stands in Hebrews 11. The people of faith were not perfect; they just continued in their race.
# 3 Keep your eyes on the prize
In the ancient Greek games, the winner got a laurel wreath. There were no buttons or badges for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, and the Olympians would not get a contract to be on a box of Wheaties. The author tells us what the prize is--the author and finisher of our faith—the Alpha and Omega. The death of Jesus and his resurrection is how faith begins. How often did Jesus rebuke his disciples by saying, "Oh, you of little faith!" Faith needs growth, and we practice our faith, incrementally. We run our race and listen to our coach. Just as a marathon runner must work his way up to the 26.2 miles of the marathon, so too must all believers. The Bible tells us without faith, it is impossible to please God.
The story of the runner is true! John Stephen Akwari of Tanzania competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. When asked by someone why he did not quit the race and be brought back to the Olympic games by ambulance, he said, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race." These words forever marked this man as more than a winner; he was an Olympian!
God's Son, Jesus, did not save us to start the Christian race. We will cross the finish line like John Stephen Akwari: bruised, bloody, and bandaged, but we will cross that line and fall into the arms of Jesus. Sometimes we feel like those other eighteen runners who want to quit the race. At one time, the flame burned bright within us and now more like a small pilot light waiting for an infusion of natural gas. Remember:
You were saved not to start the Christian race but to finish it! Keep running! The Prize is waiting for you at the finish line!
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