Stamina

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Hebrews 12:1–3 (ESV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

What it is speaking to me

I like running movies, and I don't like running.

Any endurance story is super inspiring; it makes you almost want to go out and do something about something...but no.

Real endurance in real life is a different thing entirely, and for most people it does not involve running.

• It usually means the race is taking longer than you thought it would.

• It means you might be tired, but it is not over.

• It means you have probably prayed about the same thing a hundred times.

• It means you have fought the same temptation.

• It means you have carried the same grief.

• It means you have waited a long time for an answer.

• It means you have tried to keep doing the right thing and it isn't helping anything.

• It means at some point, you may have asked, "How much longer?"

The thing is, that is our race. I don't even mean for it to sound that bad; honestly, amidst those things, God's goodness and joy is woven all through it. But sometimes that is our race. And Hebrews does not say we get to run the race that we want. It says we are to run the race set before us.

I could look at somebody else's life and think their race looks easier, but I am not called to run their race. I am called to run mine. And I do not run it well by staring at myself, or at others. I don't run it well by dwelling on any weakness, any sin, or how far I still have to go. I run it by looking to Jesus. Everything else gets cast off.

Jesus did not endure because the cross was easy. He endured because of the joy set before Him. When I am running and feeling low, I need to look at Him, not just admire Him from a distance, but fix my eyes on Him.

And keep going.

What it is saying to you

What do you need to cast off?

What is entangling you that keeps you from running well?

What are your eyes set on?

What are we going to do about it?

Keep going. We do not finish the whole race today (probably!), but we can keep our eyes on Jesus today.