RUN YOUR RACE

Hebrews 12:1-2a New American Standard Bible 

“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 … .”

            When a runner runs a distance race he wears light nylon running shorts, a sleeveless super lightweight shirt, no socks and the lightest running shoes they can find to make their bodies as light and aerodynamic as humanly possible. They wanted the air they push thru to gently flow around them without hindering their forward movement. It’s a historic fact that the first Greek Olympians competed in the nude. Absolutely nothing to slow them down. Only men participated and women were not even allowed to watch the events, let alone partake in them. Therefore, when we run the race of faith we do not want any encumbrances to slow us down, impeding our progress. 

            The prize we race toward is Christ, who authored and perfected our faith. It is true in life that if we fix our gaze upon an object we can become extremely focus on that one thing. Pregnant women are told to fix their eyes upon something in the hospital room to help them focus on the task at hand. Unless you have horrific concentration, you will be able to block out all distractions around you. This is what we must do to maximize the success of our faith walk. Christ will lead and guide us thru this minefield we walk thru each day by his Holy Spirit. Temptations will seek to entangle us so as to set us back and make us ineffective, but just knowing that we win in the end should be encouragement enough to lead us home.

            The Lord desires for us to win the race of faith. He answers our prayers for strength and builds us up so we can not only make it the distance, but also encourage others along the way. So run your race with confidence, knowing that nothing can impede your progress unless you allow it to.  Don’t question God, but rather ask what he wants you to learn from the experience. And rejoice because nothing can stop what God has begun in you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: www.biblegateway.com