“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1b–2a).
It was finally here: Fifth Grade Field Day! Collin’s heart was pumping so loudly he thought the people around him could hear it! He was standing on the starting line for the 100 meter dash. Collin loved to run and had practiced for months for this special day. If he could just run his best in this race, he could have a shot at the gold medal during the awards ceremony. Collin took a deep breath as he fixed his eyes straight ahead on the big oak tree in the distance. The announcer yelled, “On your mark . . . get set . . . GO!”
Collin was off! As he ran, he kept his eyes glued to the oak tree. His dad had told him he would be much more focused during the race if he chose one thing in front of him and then pretended like he was going to run right through it. So far it was working. The breeze felt great as Collin sped ahead of everyone else. He was glad that his brother Peter had let him borrow some special, lightweight running clothes for the day. His legs felt much freer today than they did when he ran in sweatpants. As Collin flew past the finish line, he knew immediately by his mom’s and sister Erin’s cheering that he had done it. First place was his!
Just as Collin had to prepare for his race by wearing the right clothes and having a good running strategy, runners in the Christian race must also be prepared. Yes, there is a race for Christians. It is mentioned in several places in the Bible (Psalm 19:5; Ecclesiastes 9:11; 1 Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 9:1–3). Obviously, it is not a literal race around a track, but it has similarities to a real race.
The writer of Hebrews gives two specific instructions from God about running the race. First, Christians, the runners in this race, are to get rid of everything that is dead weight so they can run freely. Sin is the biggest thing that weighs Christians down and hinders their success. Until a runner’s sins are washed away, he or she will fail to get very far. Second, the runners in the Christian race must focus on Christ’s excellent example of perseverance (“continued effort”). Christ suffered so much on earth before He died on the cross, yet He never gave up His responsibilities to His Father. Some Christians run longer races than others, but each runner still has to press on and stay focused on Christ until he or she reaches the finish line: Heaven. Then the success will be recognized and all glory will go to God.
God has given each Christian a race to run that must be run by God’s instructions.
My response:
» Am I avoiding sin so I can freely run the Christian race?
» Am I daily focusing on Christ and persevering after His example?