Encouragement, Faith, Goals, Guidance, Our Identity, Perseverence, Relationship to Christ, Sin, Struggles, Temptation, Victory

Run with Perseverance

As we wrap up our study on One Blessed Step, we look at what the writer of Hebrews says about the Christian life. “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,” (Hebrews 12:1 ESV)

Whenever the Bible begins a Scripture with “Therefore,” we must look at what was previously said.  In the previous chapter, he mentions a list of those God had found faithful.  It is by no means a complete list, but Chapter 11 has come to be known as the “Hall of Faith,” and the writer mentions that those, who we as Believers have considered the “Heroes of the Faith,” are witnesses to the faith-walk of Christians throughout time.   With that in mind, he likens our walk with the Lord to that of a foot race.  There are spectators at a race, and the writer states that we are being observed also.  Not only are the angels watching Christians in their walk with Jesus, but those who have gone before us are aware of the battles and victories Believers encounter in their race, and those around us are also watching us run this race. 

Running a race requires dedication, perseverance, and endurance.  When he was in high school, my brother was on the track team.  He had to train hard to be able to run the races he was in, and he needed to be focused on the goal.  He trained with weights around his ankles to help him push himself to run faster so that when race day came, the weights came off and he could easily run the race and cross the finish line.  As Believers, we also have things that weigh us down as we follow the path God has laid out for us.  Those weights are to be laid aside; they can be sin in our lives, obstacles that Satan puts in our path, or just hindrances in our lives that side-track us.  We are to focus on the goal, take each step as it is directed by God, and run with a determination to finish the course.  The Apostle Paul talked about the race he was running in Acts 20:24, “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” (NASB 1995)  Paul focused on the goal and persevered to the finish line, doing what God had called him to do.  He stayed the course with his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.

In his e-book, No More Excuses, Dr. Tony Evans states, “Unlike an athletic competition, the race for the Christian lasts a lifetime. If you’re not dead yet, you aren’t finished yet. You still have time to push forward in the race and win.” We must remember that this Christian walk is not a sprint, but a marathon. Sprinters train differently than marathoners. One trains for a fast, short race, and the other trains for a long, grueling, run for twenty-six miles. We are to run as a marathon racer, persevering to the end, enduring the pain of the difficult parts of the race, and crossing the finish line with dedication to follow wherever Jesus leads us. We must also remember that we are not running this race alone, Christ is right beside us. Charles Spurgeon said, “He stands with us at the starting-point, and earnestly says to us, not ‘Run,’ but, ‘Let us run.’ The apostle himself is at our side as a runner.”  As we run, Jesus encourages us to keep going, not give up, and persevere to the end of our race.  Sometimes, a race is just taking one determined step after another.  When the race gets difficult, persevering to the end is how we reach the goal. 

I want to encourage you today, my friends, run with determination.  Keep your eyes fixed on the goal (Jesus), take each step as you persevere to the end, and when you cross the finish line, you will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” from God the Father.

Unknown's avatar

Published by

Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

Leave a comment