On a side note, running through the streets of London sounds kind of dreamy, doesn't it? It does to me...until I realize that they have to run for hours and that they only look at the road in front of them and don't have the time to take in the sights and sounds. Maybe I do have it better here on my sofa!
Anytime I watch people run in a race, I am reminded of the encouragement that God gives us when it comes to persevering through life in our relationships with Him. Hebrews chapter 12 starts after the end of chapter 11 highlights many Bible characters of old who were giants in their faith.
The Message's translation of Hebrews 12:1-3 is among my favorites:
"Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running - and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
I love it! "We'd better get on with it!" Cut the ties that bind, throw off the burdens that weight us down, and RUN to Him! In the same way the Olympic runners keep their eyes on the goal, ignoring the distractions, even the exciting ones, that beckon them, we must keep our eyes on Jesus in order to finish the race. He's already run the race. He knows how to do it! When we get weary, we need to play back the story of His sprint to the ultimate finish line in our heads over and over again until we are refocused and back on track.
Olympic runners don't just start jogging on a Saturday morning and decide they want to run in the Olympic Games. It's something they train for their entire lives. The sport of running becomes a life of running. They strategize, they study. And we must do the same. I love how Hebrews 12 tells us to study how Jesus ran His race. It's because it's about more than just the running. Anyone can run, at least for a while. The key to running the distance is to study how to do it, and then the be disciplined enough to follow that example and not give up when it's tough.
It's also extremely hard to run if you're overweight (trust me, I've been there). Spiritually, the same is true. Just as a runner must be disciplined in their intake and mindful of keeping their weight down in order to run at their maximum potential, the same goes for us as Christ-followers! We must be always aware of our spiritual intake, discerning what is doctrine from the Lord and what is spiritual fat that needs to be trimmed. Also, runners don't race in sweatsuits - they would just weigh them down. They run in light-weight apparel so nothing will slow them down. The same is true for the spiritual race - we must strip down and throw off anything that is not of Him in our lives and then start running.
The one thing that always inspires me the most when watching people run marathons is that the race course isn't spotted with individual runners here and there, running for their lives. The racers are strategic, and they run in a pack. Always. It helps them keep pace, it pushes them to run harder, and it makes for a better race for them every time. It's not until the very end when the fastest runners break into a sprint in order to be the first one to cross the finish line.
The picture is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ. If you're running alone, without accountability or anyone to spur you on to the finish, aren't the chances so much greater that you'll give up and start walking instead of running? If no one's helping set the pace, your pace will slow - it's proven.
Do you have people with whom you run your race? Do you have people in your life who are committed to helping set the pace, the push you to run harder and faster toward the arms of the Savior? If so, take a moment to thank God for the blessing of true friends, and ask Him to help you to be a pace-setter and a pack-leader for them.
If not, take some time to ask the Lord to bring people into your life who will be committed, first to Him, and second to you, so that you will be able to finish the race well. We can't do it alone, and God's desire is not that we would run by ourselves.
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." GAL. 6:2He desires to see you in relationship and doing life with fellow believers, and He does not want you to shoulder the burden of life alone. Ask Him to provide for you, and He will do so, abundantly.
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Lord, today I want to tell you again that my desire is to run the race set before me with endurance, and with joy. I want to follow the example set by Your Son and to keep my eyes on Him, the ultimate prize and portion. Thank you for the people you've surrounded me with that encourage me to run and help me keep the pace. Please allow me to do for others the very same thing. Please continue to bring people into my life who will sharpen and encourage me, and may we as the Body of Christ live a life of character and integrity that shines a light on your overwhelming majesty. Amen.
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