Better Promises : WK 6 - MON
Hebrews 12:1-6
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people] then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
Goals are important. Whether they are personal, health, financial, academic or spiritual goals they all help us focus. They keep us going toward a target. They motivate us to keep going.
A while back I had the goal of running a 10K. I have been involved in many athletic activities as a younger man but never running long distance. I figured that jogging would be less painful and dangerous than the backyard tackle football games I played as a foolish teenager. So I thought I would join my wife and begin the training to run a 10K. How hard could it be?
I quickly realized that it was going to be a lot harder than I anticipated. That first run was enough of an excuse for me to give up. And I wanted to give up but I couldn’t. You know why? I had signed up to run the 10K in the Boise Marathon. Not only that, members of my family had signed up as well. I couldn’t give up because I had a goal. In front of my whole family, I had to cross that finish line.
So every training run had to be completed. All the right food had to be consumed. All the necessary rest had to happen. I had to push through all the negative thoughts and overcome my habit of giving up when things got hard. I had to persevere. I had to endure. And it felt so good when I crossed the finish line, having defeated every obstacle that got in my way, most of them internal. I reached my goal.
The author of Hebrews needed the followers of Christ to know that they needed to endure all they were experiencing. This was their opportunity to show that they could endure. That their faith was more than words. That following Jesus gives the power to persevere to the very end. The same goes for us.
The spiritual journey is run in front of a crowd. People are watching us as we who claim to be followers of Christ run the race of faith. They want to see if we will crumble under the pressure, if we will give up on the message that we preach. They want to see if what we say is true. So if you are struggling at this moment, keep the goal in mind:
Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12:2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people] then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
Goals are important. Whether they are personal, health, financial, academic or spiritual goals they all help us focus. They keep us going toward a target. They motivate us to keep going.
A while back I had the goal of running a 10K. I have been involved in many athletic activities as a younger man but never running long distance. I figured that jogging would be less painful and dangerous than the backyard tackle football games I played as a foolish teenager. So I thought I would join my wife and begin the training to run a 10K. How hard could it be?
I quickly realized that it was going to be a lot harder than I anticipated. That first run was enough of an excuse for me to give up. And I wanted to give up but I couldn’t. You know why? I had signed up to run the 10K in the Boise Marathon. Not only that, members of my family had signed up as well. I couldn’t give up because I had a goal. In front of my whole family, I had to cross that finish line.
So every training run had to be completed. All the right food had to be consumed. All the necessary rest had to happen. I had to push through all the negative thoughts and overcome my habit of giving up when things got hard. I had to persevere. I had to endure. And it felt so good when I crossed the finish line, having defeated every obstacle that got in my way, most of them internal. I reached my goal.
The author of Hebrews needed the followers of Christ to know that they needed to endure all they were experiencing. This was their opportunity to show that they could endure. That their faith was more than words. That following Jesus gives the power to persevere to the very end. The same goes for us.
The spiritual journey is run in front of a crowd. People are watching us as we who claim to be followers of Christ run the race of faith. They want to see if we will crumble under the pressure, if we will give up on the message that we preach. They want to see if what we say is true. So if you are struggling at this moment, keep the goal in mind:
Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12:2
- What are your spiritual goals for this year?
- Do you tend to give up when things get hard? Why or why not?
- When things get hard, what can you do to endure?
No Comments