Perseverance

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith . . ." (Heb. 12:1-2a)

The Illinois High School Athletic Association holds the State Track Meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, each year. Nancy and I left our home at 6:00 a.m. in order to be in the stands when Ched ran one leg of the 4 X 800 (A team of four runners each run 800 yards, or approximately 1/2 mile, passing a baton between runners). Though they qualified to go to the State Track Meet, Lebanon's team of which Ched is a part did not advance to the Finals, yet, the day was not a total wash out, so to speak. There were five weather delays caused by thunderstorms in the area, resulting in the meet last nearly 3 1/2 hours longer than it should, but throughout the course of the event we were privileged to see some pretty amazing young athletes test their abilities on the field of competition and be witnesses to God's ongoing work.

This got me to thinking about the book of Hebrews and how the author encourages the Christian community to remember that there are always grandstands of supportive people rooting you on in living the faith which is inside you, so get on with it! Quit coming up with every worn out excuse for why you can't do what you have been birthed to do and set your eyes on Jesus that you might persevere in the race you are given to run.

It seems so simple. Yet, in the course of things, someone always manages to make it a competition - and rather than run for the sake of doing what we are birthed to do, we get caught up . . . and often left behind . . . in competing to do better than everyone else what only we ourselves can uniquely do, a fatal compromise of God's vision for us. The author of Hebrews never suggests that Christianity is a competition, rather, living the faith is our very nature. Running the race of faith is our journey. Perseverance is our call to stay focused on our faith and Christ stands at the finish line of our life to receive those who complete the course.

It is not a race against, but a journey towards; not competition, but an event of a lifetime.

The author of Ecclesiastes notes, "Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all." (9:11) Today, in the 300 meter High Hurdles, a young man from a nearby community raced from near the back of the pack to lead all the hurdlers as they came into the last two hurdles. He tripped on the last hurdle and fell hard less than six feet from the finish line, allowing the number two person to win. He quickly picked himself up and, literally threw himself across the finish line, doing so in such a rapid motion that he was not the last one of the nine hurdlers to finish the race, yet, neither was he the first. He took his eye off the goal. Maybe he dared to look at the cheering crowd, maybe his ear heard the excited voice of the announcer, maybe he took his eyes off the top of the last hurdle, we will never know, but this we do know: "Time and chance happen to them all."

Listen to Christ and keep your eyes on Him. Run the life you have been given, with all the faith, enthusiasm, courage, and perseverance you have in you . . . letting the outcome in the hands of the One whose hands are scarred in preparing to receive you home. You may trip, you may fall down, it may even hurt when you hit the ground . . . so, tell me, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, what makes you think you should have it any easier than your Master/Coach? Take the offered hand of Jesus and get up, brush yourself off, determine what happened, and strive to move on stronger and more focused towards God's goal before you. Not one of us knows what next might happen to any one of us, so make the most of this moment you have to run the race and run!

All God's saints in heaven and on earth are cheering you on to do what you are birthed to do, so do it . . . and God's Spirit be with you on your way.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don