‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ‘– Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV®.
Paul in the above verse advises us to run the race that God has marked out for us. He advises us to run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on our creator Jesus Christ.
Jesus ran the perfect race while he was on earth.
What kind of race are we running today?
We have heard of the phrase ‘rat race’.
The phrase originates from the rat cages where rats are given a circular path to run on.
It is a race which leads the rat nowhere but is full of struggles and exhaustion.
This phrase compares human life and some of the struggles to be as pointless as that one. A person who can come out of it is considered a true winner.
(Excerpt from https://www.theidioms.com/rat-race/)
The rat race is a pointless pursuit that has selfish outcomes without contentment.
Are we running this race?
Do we truly understand the outcome of how we run our lives today?
We all have a race to run. There is no escape.
There is a race we run in the workplace. There is one at home. There is one at school. Every pursuit is a race we run.
Are we running a race alone?
If we are, there is good news for us.
There is a detour we can take.
We will meet Jesus there. He will refresh us. He expects us to team up with him in running the race.
He is the coach who can train us. He knows the terrain. He trains us to run on it.
He is a fitness expert who can give us a better lifestyle. A lifestyle of prayer that builds us to face valleys and mountains. A lifestyle of living in faith when there are risky bends, slippery paths and dead ends.
He is the creative executor so don’t expect small results. He does things BIG and in His style.
Remember, God does not want us to sit idle and do nothing. He expects us to be the head and not the tail. He expects us to excel and not just settle for mediocre. He expects us to look at our pursuits as mission place for His work to accomplish.
We are made for Him. We excel when Christ works through us. So, throw off everything that creates a hurdle to partner with Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus that distractions may fade away. Run the race of life without giving up.
I shall close with this song. Enjoy it & have a blessed time with Jesus.
CityAlight ~ Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™