There’s A Race To Run: To Your Marks … Set … ***!!!
Every year around this time, special memories come to my mind. Please bear with me as I reflect on the “seasons” that were always a highlight to me. Growing up in a farming community, the planting season marked the end of winter as the fields were being prepared for the crops that would eventually flourish. Most every farm included field corn and soy beans, but since the most prominent produce in our Dutch community was the gladiola flower, everyone looked forward to mid—summer when the beauty of the fields sparkled with color. Another occasion that brought excitement was Opening Day for the baseball season. Hope would always “spring eternal” even though the Chicago Cubs were in the midst of a record breaking World Series drought. Then on a more personal note for me, Spring marked the start of track season and I greatly enjoyed participating in the sprints and relays—there was something very refreshing and rewarding about running those races. Finally, this time of year was also extra special because it includes the Easter Season, when we celebrate the most important event in all of history.
In preparation for Easter this year, I’ve been reading and studying the books of Isaiah, Mark and Hebrews; the series of sermons that will be presented will come from what Mark recorded about Jesus’ journey to the Cross, the Grave, and eventually to Victory over Death! The message Mark seems to highlight in his presentation places an emphasis on the way Jesus orchestrated and took charge of everything that led to His Triumph over the evil agenda that His enemies were planning.
In this article, I’d like to draw our attention to Hebrews 12:1—3 as the basis for the thoughts being highlighted. There are four lessons for us to apply to our lives in this passage.
—1— God has called every follower of Christ to RUN a RELAY! Please notice what 12:1 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This exhortation is closely connected to what Hebrews 11 tells us, showing us that we’re all an important part of God’s plan. Throughout the Bible we have the example of people who found God’s approval by TOTALLY TRUSTING Him.
—2— We should READY ourselves for this race by REDUCING the drag. Again, please see what 12:1 says about having the endurance necessary to run our portion of the relay race: “let us also lay aside every weight … and the sin which so easily entangles us” and holds us back. Are there any habits, routines, or areas of sin that are dragging us down? Do we have any distractions that pull us away from God’s will for our lives? The next lesson helps us find the perseverance we need.
—3— We should RESTRICT our frame of REFERENCE. Verses 2—3 instruct us to be “looking to Jesus” because He’s “the founder and the perfecter of our faith, Who endured the cross by despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God!” Then we’re encouraged to “consider Him Who endured such hostility against Himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart! This is why our Easter celebration is the most important time of the year. It’s a wonderful reminder of how we can maintain the perseverance, endurance, and hopefulness needed to eliminate the distractions that bring discouragement, disappointment, despair, or defeat into our lives. So then finally,
—4— We should RECOGNIZE the ROLE of faithfulness! It’s good to keep this in mind and to focus our attention on the reality that faithfulness is absolutely essential for pleasing God; (11:6) and it’s also crucial for us to realize our responsibility in fulfilling God’s eternal plans and purposes! We’re running a relay race that leads to eternity! God has given us the privilege of being faithful followers of the Lord. We represent Him to those around us who need to hear about His love and grace, His lovingkindness and mercy, and His provision for eternal life.
With prayer for God’s glory and praise for His grace, Pastor Greg