…Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Looking only at Jesus…
Hebrews 12:1-2
When I read these verses, I think of the Olympics. One of my favorite features in Olympics coverage is the “up close and personal” segments where we get to see into the personal lives of the competitors. The level of commitment to their sport is something most of us have difficulty personally identifying with. But we can learn valuable lessons as Christians by looking at the lives of competitive athletes.
An athlete spends many hours a day preparing the body for the competition. Strict discipline is required to train physically and mentally. Hours are spent every day in the weight room building up the body and strengthening the muscles. Countless hours must be spent perfecting techniques to ensure the quickest starts and the ability to pace oneself. Rigorous compliance with just the right kind of diet is mandatory. Competitive athletes must have a single-minded focus and give up many other things in order to achieve the goal. Years of preparation are required to be among the best.
What is the race that the Lord calls His followers to run? Colossians 1:10 describes it this way: …Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
He calls us to an intimate relationship with Himself — loving Him, walking with Him, listening, obeying His Word, acknowledging our complete dependence on Him for what He has planned for our life. The Bible is our instruction manual that teaches us how to live a life that is pleasing to Him – how we are to live in relationship to Him, to our family, spouse, children, employers or employees, to those who are suffering. Only in a close relationship with the Lord and filled with His Spirit will we experience “bearing fruit in every good work.” We need to actively seek to discover our spiritual gifts and to be using them to serve.
Hebrews 12:1 tells us to rid ourselves of every obstacle and sin which so easily entangles us in order to run the race. It isn’t just sin that weighs us down and causes us to stumble in our race. There are other things, often even good things, that can distract us and take a great deal of our time, energy and focus away from God’s best for us. We need to be sure we are doing what God wants with our life. We need to be in the race He has called us to.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus is the key. “Fixing” is translated from a Greek word meaning “to look away from all else at.” Have you ever noticed the eyes of athletes who are beginning a race? They are not looking around at the spectators to see who is watching them. They are not glancing at the other competitors. Their eyes are fixed on the course directly in front of them, and their intense focus and concentration on the goal is evident.
That is the example for us to follow. We need to take very seriously the Lord’s call to run the race that He sets before us, constantly fighting against being so caught up in earthly things that we forget our goal. We need to remind ourselves often that the ultimate goal is to stand before the Lord someday, perfect and complete, and hear him say, “Well done.”
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Read again Colossians 1:10 …that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
How do you prepare yourself to run with endurance the race that is set before you?
What “encumbrances” do you need to lay aside?
What is the sin that so easily entangles you?
Are your eyes fixed on Jesus? Or is your focus of attention divided and scattered? Where are your eyes fixed?
Are you running the race He has set before you? Or has someone or something else designed your race? How do you know?
Commit yourself to come before the Lord each day for training, instruction, wisdom and His power to run the race He has set before you.
So good!