Monday, November 28, 2022

          The Christian faith has often been likened to a race.  Indeed, Paul sprinkled his letters with a variety of sports metaphors with running or racing being one of them.  Hebrews 12 borrows from the sport of running to teach us some important faith lessons.  We read, “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).  A few lessons stand out about faith and how we run our race of faith.
            First, we are not alone.  We are running with other believers from across the world and the span of nations.  We have to run our race.  No one can do that for us.  But we are not running alone.  We have the company or fellowship of other believers.  We also have the example and model of biblical characters that we can follow.  The men and women of the Bible were not perfect humans.  Like us, they were sinners and often failed the Lord.  But we can find examples in their lives of how we are to live and what we are to do.  We can be encouraged by the example of ordinary believers and the manner in which they ran their race.
            Second, we are to cast off or to toss aside anything that may hinder us in our race.  We are not to entertain sin or wickedness.  We are not to keep company with temptation.  We are to remove influences and impediments that might trip us up or keep us from running with the kind of stamina and endurance that God would like to see us produce.  Some matters may not be sinful but they simply slow us down or capture our energy and focus.  All things that keep us from running a good race of faith must be pruned away.    
            Third, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Any runner knows the quickest way to lose a race is to look at other runners or to turn one’s head.  Running requires that we focus straight ahead and pay little mind to what is happening around us or behind us.  In faith, we are to look squarely at Jesus.  We trust Him to provide for us.  We trust Him to show us the track where we are to run.  We trust Him to lead us to where we need to be.  We lean on Christ and cast on Him any cares or burdens that might keep us from running as we should.
            Fourth, we run the race that is marked out for us.  God has a pathway for us to follow.  That pathway is for our good and His glory.  We cannot run someone else’s race.  We have to run “the race that is marked out for us.”  God may be working to produce patience in your life or to chip away at hard feelings and a calloused heart.  We trust that God will finish what He has started in us if we will faithfully run for Him.
            And fifth, we run with endurance.  We are not to pick certain days to serve the Lord and forget about Him at other times.  We are not to fight temptation only when we may feel like it.  We build endurance through Bible study, prayer, worship, serving and leaning into the Lord much as a runner would develop his skills through training, diet and preparation.  We lean into the Lord like a runner leans forward as he approaches the finish line.  One quality often lacking in God’s people today is endurance.  Believers often take themselves out of the race or beat a pathway to the sidelines.  Do not drop out from the race of faith.  Run with endurance and finish each day as strongly as you can as you live in anticipation of the crown of life.  Have a great Monday and remember you can share our worship at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.