Our spiritual walk with Christ is not a sprint; it is a marathon. As we look to develop our spirit man, let us look at the example given to us in Scripture that helps us ‘run in such a way’ that we persevere until the end. The Lord is for us and we cannot give up!
uan Garcia Enterprises
Day 1
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2
Introduction
Have you ever dedicated time, resources and energy to a project and felt like giving up? Did you ever experience disappointment towards a goal you had in mind and just felt like quitting?
These are common experiences we face in life. It’s not starting the project or launching the business or even writing the goal down that is the hardest part of accomplishing something. It is finishing and finishing strong!
There’s a story of a man from Tanzania, Africa. His name is John Stephen Akhwari. He was representing Tanzania at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. While competing in the marathon in Mexico City, Akhwari cramped up due to the high altitude of the city. He had not trained at such an altitude back in his country. At the 30 kilometer point during the 42 km race, there was jockeying for position between some runners and he was hit. He fell badly, wounding his knee and causing a dislocation. Plus, his shoulder hit hard against the pavement. He, however, continued running, finishing last among the 17 competitors who completed the race (79 had started). The winner of the marathon, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, finished in 2:20:26. Akhwari finished in 3:25:27, when there were only a few thousand people left in the stadium, and the sun had set. A television crew was sent out from the medal ceremony when word was received that there was one more runner about to finish.
As he finally crossed the finish line, a cheer came from the small crowd. When interviewed later and asked why he continued running, he said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”
Friends, Jesus did not die on a cross, arise and ascend to the right-hand of the Father to intercede for you and I so we can just start this race. He did so we can finish this race strong!
Over the next few days, we will be diving into Hebrews chapter 12 to receive encouragement and specifically four tools that will help us ‘run in such a way’ that will impact the way we experience Christ in our lives on a daily basis.
Day 2
Scriptures: Hebrews 12:1, 2 Corinthians 1:20
Remember the Witnesses
Today, we have so many different platforms to choose where we obtain our information. Growing up, the most common place to go was the local newspaper. I remember sitting at the kitchen table and perusing the paper for news I couldn’t really understand, crossword puzzles I had difficulty completing and comic strips I didn’t know existed. It was so cool to feel as if I had all this knowledge (even though it wasn’t all clear …yet).
We all have different voices we can listen to. Most of the those voices seem to come from social media outlets. They are loud, strong and in your face. Everyone’s opinion is put out there for us to follow, like and/or comment on. Even if the information is not accurate or deemed ‘fake news’, we can pick and choose who or what we will listen to. It ultimately influences our lives in different ways.
The writer of the book of Hebrews wants to remind us here that we have a “great cloud of witnesses” that went before us. In chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews, the writer is careful to lay out what is known as, “The Hall of Faith”. In it are a number of individuals that were ordinary yet experienced extraordinary lives, through faith in God’s promises. These are our witnesses. They have evidence and can serve as proof of God’s faithfulness to His people and His promises.
As you continue on your journey of faith with Jesus, remember that there is a cloud of witnesses that went before you and serve as a testament to God’s power. You are not alone; don’t give up!
Challenge: Who or what are you influenced by? Who is your cloud of witnesses? Who speaks into your life on a regular basis?
Day 3
Scriptures: Hebrews 12:1, 2 Timothy 2:4
Throw Off Extra “Stuff”
Marathon runners train to last. They wear light clothes and some even run barefoot to get accustomed to the terrain. It is important to do so because it helps with keeping a certain speed to last. It helps produce endurance.
The writer of Hebrews focuses on this concept of running “light” when he says in chapter 12, verse 1, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” He is reminding us that there are things that can get in the way of our spiritual development and growth. Sin can get us tangled up and cause us to lose our way. Ultimately, its purpose is to separate us from a healthy relationship with God.
I’m reminded of a time my wife and I were traveling. We decided to check our bags curbside. I placed one of our bags on the scale and it registered, “52 pounds”. The representative said, “Your bag is in excess. That will cost you an extra $150.” I looked at my wife and we both grabbed the smaller bag we had and proceeded to take some items from the overweight bag, to put into the other bag. Then it hit me. When we are headed to a greater destination with extra baggage, it is GOING TO COST US!
There are unnecessary items we may be carrying around that can slow us down. Things like unforgiveness, anger, regret, guilt, shame and so many others; they can easily tangle us up. Let us then, throw off all the extra “stuff.”
Challenge: Identify some of the things that may easily entangle you. How are you combating or “throwing off” their power over your life?
Day 4
Scriptures: Hebrews 12:1, 1 Corinthians 4:7
Run the Race Marked Out for You
I used to consider myself as competitive. Growing up playing sports and all types of games, I found myself wanting to be on the winning side. As a kid, you want to win at all costs. Being on the ‘losing’ team was never fun. So sometimes, you would cut corners (some people say cheat) just so you can experience sweet victory.
The problem with that is, life doesn’t always seem victorious. As John Maxwell says, “sometimes you win; sometimes you learn.” The writer of Hebrews states it this way in chapter 12, verse 1, “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” There are two things he wants us to learn about this race: (1) run with endurance and (2) run the race marked out for YOU.
In being competitive, it is easy to fall into the temptation of comparison. We see the champion or winner as ‘better than us’ because of the status. We can find ourselves feeling a sense of worthlessness because we are not on top. It affects our self-esteem and we end up buying into the lie that we don’t have the value that God has established in His word.
We are reminded to run with endurance. We cannot give up. Stay focused and when you can’t run, walk. When you cannot walk, crawl. But whatever you do, DO NOT QUIT! The Lord is with you and for you. By His grace and mercy, you will be victorious.
We are also reminded to run the race marked out for us. In a marathon, there are lanes assigned to each runner. Interference is called if any runner impedes another competitor by jostling or running across an opponent’s path, deliberately runs on or inside the track curb or illegally runs outside the assigned lane; they will be disqualified from the race. There is no need to compare nor try to run someone else’s race. There is a race marked out for you. That’s the one God designed for you. BE YOU!
Challenge: Do you struggle with comparison? Have you tried to be or act like someone else to gain approval? How can you focus on the race marked out for you?
Day 5
Scriptures: Hebrews 12:2, Philippians 3:12-14
Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
Distraction is a huge element for a marathon runner to be able to finish a race well. It is considered to be anything that prevents someone from giving their full attention to something. As a runner begins to feel the pain of muscle cramping or exhaustion, they must focus on the task at hand. Anything else will serve as a distraction in finishing strong.
But it is not simply avoiding distractions that helps finish well. It is also what we focus on. The natural inclination is to focus on self. We can be tempted to focus on our own abilities, our own knowledge and even our own training/conditioning. This is dangerous because we are finite beings with a sinful nature.
The writer of Hebrews is intentional about showing us how to run this race with perseverance. He says in chapter 12, verse 2 to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. There are other versions that use the contrasting terms, “Alpha and Omega” to describe the Lord’s ability to be all-sufficient. He is incapable of failing and is eternal in nature.
When someone is deemed clinically brain dead, there are several exams required in order to diagnose such a tragic state. Our brain has brainstem reflexes that cause us to do important yet basic things, even while we are sleeping. One of those things is the ability to breath on our own. There are several more but one of them that is examined is the pupillary response. When this reflex is not present, the clinical term used to state so is that the pupils are ‘fixed.’ This is a sign of absence of reflex and/or death.
When I think of what the writer of Hebrews is suggesting here, I am reminded of this clinical process. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, it is a sign of death to self, and no distractions. We are focused on who He is and not easily swayed by the things of this world. Our eyes are FIXED on Him!
Challenge: What are some distractions that are not letting you run the race well? How can you fix your eyes on Jesus and not on other things?