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,
Hebrews 12:1[1]
People are always watching us. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing, there’s always someone watching. Even when we think we’re alone with our phone, someone is watching. Someone is looking at what we’re interested in. What we’re watching. What we’re typing. What pictures we’re uploading.
Think about the last time you went out. Your phone told people where you drove, rode your bike, or walked to. Your credit card company approved every purchase you tapped, dipped, or swiped for. Cameras recorded you driving on the road and in parking lots. And this doesn’t even count all the people who saw you.
It’s like this even when I go out and play golf by myself. I’ll hit anywhere between four and seven balls for every shot on every hole. Sometimes more. No matter when I go, it seems like there’s always someone to witness when I hit the ground instead of the ball. Or I shank the shot way off to the left.
The writer is reminding the Hebrews that even through they’re going through terrible pain and persecution, that they’re never alone. No matter what they’re going through, they’re not the first to experience it. They won’t be the last either. And because they’re not alone, he tells them four things about what they’re going though.
Surrounded. Even though it might feel like we’re all alone, and no one understands, those feelings aren’t true. The great promise is that we’re not alone. But it gets even better. It’s not just one or two people watching, but there’s a whole crowd of people all around us who’ve gone through the same stuff we’re going through. What could be more encouraging than this?
Throw off. Whenever we throw something, it goes somewhere else. It moves away from us. We stay here while it goes over there. There’s no way to get rid of something while keeping it. It’s one or the other. Throwing takes a decision, action, and energy. Throwing doesn’t happen by accident. If we run after it, then we’re not really throwing it off.
Run. We can’t run and be still at the same time. Running is also never passive, it’s always active. Running takes energy and coordination between your legs and your entire body. Instead of running after what we just threw away, we dedicate ourselves to running in a different direction. After something else. Somewhere else. Someone else.
Race. We’re not just running for the sake of running. A race always has a purpose to it. There’s a goal to every race. Every race also has limits. There’s a start and an end. All during the middle of every race, there’s a route or course that shows where to go. Where to turn. We don’t get to decide where to race, someone else does. Our job is to go where the race takes us.
Running in a race is about where we go and what we’re to go around. When we’re running, we need to avoid anything and everything that might slow us down. That might trip us up. We need to go where we won’t step into a hole that will make us fall. We need to avoid running into cars, bikes, dogs, and other people.
It’s probably strange to think about our sin as something that entangles us. We like to think about someone else’s sin as tripping us up. But our sin really does slow us down. It’s like untied shoelaces that we trip over. When the shoelace is tied, it keeps our shoe on. But when the knot slips, then not only can the shoe fall off, but the lace itself becomes dangerous.
So, the question I need to ask is if I’m living life like I’m in a race? Am I just sitting still or am I moving in the right direction? Am I looking for and paying attention to the signs and directions that tell me where the racecourse is headed? Will I turn and go where the course tells me to go? Am I willing to let go of where I think it’s best to go and follow the course set out by God?
Yes, these are tough questions to ask. But it’s even tougher to answer them. We need to be willing to honestly look at our lives and see if we’re going anywhere. Are we in the race or are we in a soft, comfortable chair sitting this one out? Are we on the sidelines of life?
God really doesn’t care how old you are, or where you are. If you’ve got a pulse, then you’ve in the race. You can be in your 20’s and have all the energy in the world, or in a hospital bed with tubes keeping you alive. It doesn’t matter. You still have a purpose.
You can be the most energetic person, accomplishing all sorts of good for the people around you. Or you can be the most positive and cooperative hospital patient ever. Not only does your life matter to God and people, but you can have a very powerful impact in the people all around you. No matter your circumstances, God’s love for you never changes. It’s time to be faithful to the calling and the race that God has put in front of us. The watching world is doing just that, so let’s be worth their watching.
Noodling Questions
Are you always looking to see who’s watching you? Explain.
Do you live like you’re in a race or on a casual, slow stroll? Describe.
How can God unfailing love change the speed and direction of your life?
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Bible references are from the New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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