“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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).
In a world full of social media, war, public shootings, social injustice, political uproar, plus the events going on in our own personal worlds, it can feel difficult to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. I don’t know about you, but lately, anytime I turn on the news, scroll on social media, or listen to those talking around me, it appears people have stopped running the race. People have paused for a breather and are silent instead of enduring. People have taken a detour to post their opinions on the latest news event instead of enduring biblical truths. They have engaged in hurtful discussions that cause division rather than putting off the sin that easily entangles us.
I get it—I am just as guilty when I get out my phone and scroll through social media, reading all that is going on in the world. I understand the turmoil it can create in our hearts and minds when we see what’s unfolding in front of us. However, we must endure. In Greek, endure means hupomone, which is a patient continuousness in the face of trials and suffering. This does not mean the patience to sit down and accept things, but the patience that masters them. It’s not a hurrying set before us, but a determination that refuses to give up.
As we focus on Jesus and what he endured, we have a perfect picture of what it looks like to endure the cross. Jesus controlled his tongue, stayed his course, progressed, and displayed the ultimate form of love while the spirit of joy radiated in every fiber of his being.
We all have our own crosses to bear. How can we model Jesus while he endured? Is your tongue causing division, whether written or verbal? Is it allowing the image of a specific race to be seen as the creation in which God created, rather than your enemy? Is it speaking biblical truth, instead of holding too tightly to a particular political agenda? Is it sitting with those who are experiencing turmoil all around them and encouraging them to stay the course? Is it reminding yourself that in the midst of suffering, like Paul said, to endure it with joy, knowing that you are suffering as Christ did?
If you’ve found yourself detoured, it’s not too late to get back in the race. If you have found yourself putting on sin rather than taking it off, it’s not too late to get back in the race. If you have found yourself obsessed with the world’s truths rather than what Jesus says, it’s not too late to get back in the race.
When we choose to get back in the race and endure, those around us experience “earth as it is in heaven,” and I don’t know about you, but our world needs heaven right now. This is your invitation to get back in the race.
Reflection:
- What has consumed you lately and taken your focus off Jesus?
- Jesus displayed the perfect model of endurance for us. Where are you falling short and how can you get back in the race?
- Who can you invite back into the race who has potentially stopped, detoured, or never been invited to join?