Real Joy in Tough Times: Run the Race
Hebrews 12:1b-2a
Let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3).
There is a young family I am getting to know that attends my church. They are committed believers, faithful servants in our church, and tremendous examples of a Godly family. Recently I have been getting to know the dad and the oldest son and there is something about these two that fascinates me. They are long-distance runners. They are exceptional runners, even to the point of winning many of the races.
A few years ago, Gina and I decided to participate in a local 5K sponsored by our local Chick-fil-A. That is where I first met Drew and his son Malachi and since that time, I have seen them at several races. Of course, they don’t run the 5K; that is way too easy for them. They are in the half marathons and full marathons. And both of them always finish in the top 5 of their race. Malachi is most fascinating to me. If I happen to be at a race in which he is competing, I always try to check and see how he does. You guessed it; he is always at the top. I suspect this young high schooler will be quite successful as a runner.
These races are no easy task. These are long races that require stamina, focus, and endurance. And, of course, at the end, there is the prize. Malachi willingly puts himself through a lot of pain and resists a lot of difficulties, knowing that when he crosses the finish line, there will be a prize. Now here is the most amazing thing, if I happen to see him run, I can tell that he is running with joy. He will pass me and for that matter pass most of the participants and he does so with a smile on his face. He actually enjoys what he is doing.
And that reminds me of Jesus. In Hebrews 12:1-3, the Bible likens living the Christian life to a race. And the Bible tells us that in running the race called the Christian life, we are to put away sin and other encumbrances that slow us down and trip us up. In vs. 2, the Bible says, “fixing our eyes on Jesus.” Simply put, we look to Jesus as our example for living out the Christ life. We all need an example to follow and the Holy Spirit is telling us to remember Jesus, the One who not only established our faith, but also the One who is perfecting our faith.
There is something we notice when we look to Jesus as our example. We notice that He wasn’t looking at the cross, nor was He looking at the shame. He was looking past those things, past the ridicule, past those that deserted him, past his loneliness. He was looking past those things because, according to vs. 2, He knew the joy that was ahead of Him.
He knew the joy of returning to the Father. He knew the joy of paying the price for the sin of humanity. He knew the joy of being seated at the right hand of God. He knew that once the debt was paid, the pleasure of the Father would be on Him. He endured the sin and shame knowing the joy that awaited him.
How are we to live out the Christ-life? How are we to endure? The answer is knowing that joy awaits us as we walk with Him and toward Him. I encourage you to remember the joy that awaits you when current difficulties are just a memory. God is working to build your faith and to deepen your trust. I encourage you to endure, knowing the prize awaits you! Joy is just ahead.
Next Week
For the last several weeks I have been considering and contemplating the idea of how we are to live in this world. And next week, I’ll launch a new blog series entitled Everyday Christian Living. Please join me next week as we start this new blog series together.