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/