Hebrews 12:1, 2 - Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1, 2 (NLT) 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. 2 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 Gods throne.
INTRODUCTION
The Christian life involves hard work. It
requires us to give up whatever endangers our
relationship with God, to run patiently, and to struggle
against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. To
live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus.
We will stumble if we look away from him to
stare at ourselves or at the circumstances
surrounding us. We should be running for Christ, not
ourselves, and we must always keep him in sight. [Life
Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
I'm always trying a new fitness gadget or
changing my exercise routine to lose weight and
rebuild my muscles. My latest workout plan includes
a hula hoop. Before that, I bought a pair of
professionally fitted running shoes. The first few weeks of
exercising are always exhilarating, but, before long, I
run out of steam to keep it up. I quickly forget
about what motivated me in the first place. I take
my eyes off the prize, my goal, and lose
focus.
It's natural to want to give up when I'm
tired, bored with my gadgets, not seeing results
from routines, or just a little too comfortable
carrying around that extra weight. When I get
discouraged, I picture Jesus facing me, running backward,
taking two fingers to point to His eyes and then
back to mine, signaling me to keep my eyes on Him
while I run. He knows where the terrain gets
tougher. He knows when I'll need an extra boost of
energy to go uphill. He knows when I need to catch
my breath, take a sip of water, or slow down
the pace. He's running the race with me and
gives me grace to run at my own pace.
With Him, I don't lose my focus. Jesus
helps me exercise my motivation by keeping my eyes
on the ultimate prize - Him. Ericka Loynes
Faith Step: Whatever race you're trying
to finish, whether you're running a marathon,
writing a book, raising children, performing
optimally on the job, or just getting out of bed each
day, imagine Jesus is right there with you,
cheering you on to the finish line. [Mornings With
Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
Forward Focus
In the ancient Olympic Games, they
didnt give out gold, silver, and bronze medals
like they do with the winners today. Rather, they
would crown their victors with laurel leaves.
So if you were running a race and nearing
the end, you could see the emperor standing
there with a crown of laurel leaves that he was
waiting to place on the winners head.
I remember when I was in track and field
in high school. I hated to go to practice, but
if there was a pretty girl who happened to be
watching, it always helped me run faster.
In the race of life, however, we have a
better motive. Jesus himself is watching us. The
writer of Hebrews tells us, Let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2
NKJV).
The literal meaning of looking unto
Jesus is turning your eyes away from other things
and fixing them on Him. In fact, if youre
really focused on something, then everything else
becomes somewhat blurry in comparison.
The same is true when youre using a
camera. You focus on your subject and get it dialed
in, and that obscures other things. You blur out
other elements so the subject stands out.
Thats what looking to Jesus means.
Its putting Him first and filling your mind with
the Word of God. That can help you get through
whatever hardship or difficulty youre going
through.
We need to look to Jesus, because Hes
always been looking out for us. We need to live for
Him, because He died for us. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Let Nothing Hold You Back
Ive read that a successful Olympic
athlete will work out an average of four hours a
day, 310 days a year for six years to prepare for
competition. Olympic athletes have to be disciplined,
because theyre competing for the gold.
On more than one occasion, the Bible uses
the analogy of running a race. For the
Christian, the race of life is knowing God and having a
relationship with Him. But it isnt enough just to run
the race. We have to finish the race weve
begun, and that takes discipline.
I know the trend today, especially among
younger people, is to say that we dont really
have winners or losers. You get a participation
trophy for just showing up. But that isnt real
life. We need to understand that in the race of
life, there are winners and losers.
God wants us to win the race that were
running right now. The Bible tells us, 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 (Hebrews
12:1 NLT).
We dont want anything to hold us back.
There are things that help us run faster, and
there are things that stop us from making
progress. But obeying the Lord isnt a duty; it
should be a delight.
Ive met runners who enjoy running.
Sometimes after they go for a run, theyll say,
That was a great run! Ive never had a great
run, by the way. Im always looking forward to
when it ends.
But if youre walking with the Lord, if
youre running your race for Him, then youll
discover theres joy in it. So run to win. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
ILLUSTRATION
I'm an avid jogger. Most days, I run
three to five miles. Running is vital to managing
middle-aged spread, my mental health, and even my
relationship with Jesus. I consider my morning jog to be
my meditation, because my mind is quiet enough
to hear from Jesus. I get so much inspiration
while running that I stop often to record little
notes for myself.
Running is a mental game. Some say that
if you can run a 10 K, you can run a full
marathon. I'm not so sure about that, but I am sure
that my mind plays a prominent role in how far,
fast, and happily I run. If I allow myself to
start thinking about how much more I have to go,
how hot or cold it is, or what I want to do
later, I'm doomed.
The words in Hebrews 12:1 encourage me to
cast off anything that hinders me and to
persevere to the very end of the race of faith. This
requires mental and physical discipline - and through
that, along with unwavering focus on Jesus who's
cheering me on, I can finish the race. Isabella
Campolattaro
Faith Step: What is hindering you in your
race of faith? Ask Jesus to grant you insight and
courage to cast it off, so you can run unhindered
the race set before you! [Mornings With Jesus
2022 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Think of one thing in your life that
displeases God. Whatever that is, it's undermining your
ability to keep yourself in His holy presence. Now,
imagine the freedom you will experience if you yield
to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and begin
to obey Christ in that area of your life. The
more time spent in His presence, the more
familiar we become with Him, and the less likely we
are to do things that displease Him. [The
Practice of the Presence of God: 40 Day Devotional by
Brother Lawrence/Alan Vermilye]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Hebrews 12:1-3 - THE RACE OF FAITH - RUNNING
WITH JESUS.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200507-1202.html
Hebrews 12:3 - So keep your mind on Jesus
Then you won't get discouraged and give up.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210111-1048.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
