“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”
Who inspires you? We all have role models we look up to, and perhaps there is someone you can think of that you would say is a “model Christian” — that person who just makes you want to keep growing. Chapter 11 reminded the Jewish readers of Hebrews of all their role models. The message is clear: they did it, you can too!
What trips you up in life and stops you from growing? That’s the next question posed in today’s passage. If Abraham and Isaac and Moses and Rahab and so many others kept running the race in the midst of all the hardship they faced, you can run that race too. Stay strong! Keep your eyes on Jesus! It’s a spiritual pep talk, and it’s a great passage to bookmark and read when you feel discouraged.
Life is hard. I know you are struggling with something right now, because that’s how life goes. Good and bad, easy and hard — these are part of every single day. When we forget to notice the good, we can get consumed by the hard. We can forget why we are even running this race at all. Don’t give up. So many people have gone before you and persevered in trials. Jesus has us all beat and he’s our ultimate inspiration. You may not feel strong, but in 2 Corinthians 12:9 God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” He’s running in front of you, beside you, and behind you. Keep going!