By: Pastor Daniel Ethridge
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Hebrews 12:1
The Christian life is not a sprint. It is a race that requires endurance. In Hebrews 12:1-3, we are reminded that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and called to lay aside every weight and sin that holds us back. Then we are told to run with endurance, looking to Jesus and refusing to give up.
There are four important truths we need to remember as we run the race God has placed before us.
1. The Race Is Set Before You
Hebrews 12:1 says that we are to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Whether we realize it or not, our lives are a race. God has a purpose and calling for each of us. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that He prepared beforehand for us to walk in. The question is not simply, “Am I running?” The question is, “Am I running the race God has called me to run?”
Are you busy with the right things? Are you using the gifts God has given you? Is there something you need to stop doing? Is there something God is calling you to start doing? We can become busy running without ever stopping to consider whether we are running in the right direction.
“God has a race laid out for you, and every one of us has to examine if we are walking in all that God has for us.”
2. Run With Endurance
The race God has called us to run is not a sprint. It is an endurance race. A sprint is about speed. An endurance race is about consistency, stamina, pacing, and perseverance. The Christian life works the same way.
Jesus described people who receive the Word with joy but have no root. When difficulty and persecution come, they fall away. Following Jesus is not about having one great spiritual moment. It is about faithfully following Him day after day.
Where are you right now in your spiritual race?
The beginning of a race is about positioning. The middle is about consistency and stamina. The end is about perseverance and finishing well. That means we never outgrow the basic disciplines of the Christian life. We need God’s Word. We need prayer. We need Christian community. We need people around us who will encourage us, challenge us, and help us keep going. You were never meant to run this race alone.
“You never get past the everyday basics.”
Maybe God is using this season to establish a new rhythm in your life. Maybe it is time to become more consistent in prayer. Maybe it is time to get connected to a group. Maybe it is time to step into leadership and serve in the house of God. Whatever season you are in, keep running.
3. Look to Jesus
Hebrews 12:2 tells us exactly where our focus should be:
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
Jesus is both our example and our encouragement. He endured the cross. He endured shame. He endured hostility from sinners. And He did it because He could see beyond what He was experiencing to the joy and glory that were ahead. Sometimes our problem is not that our circumstances are bigger than they actually are, it is that we are looking at them through the wrong lens. A microscope makes something small appear much larger. A telescope brings something massive and far away into focus. We can do the same thing with our problems. When we focus entirely on our circumstances, they can begin to look bigger than everything else. But when we look to Jesus, our perspective changes.
“Jesus must be the goal, the prize, the focus!”
Our goal is not simply to make it through a difficult season. Our goal is Christ. Paul said in Philippians 3 that he was pressing forward toward the prize of the heavenly call in Christ Jesus. We are called to do the same. Whatever you are facing today, lift your eyes. Look to Jesus. Remember His work, His ways, and His promises. Keep Him in focus.
4. Don’t Give Up
Hebrews 12:3 gives us the reason we keep going:
“Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.”
Maybe you feel like you should have lived differently. Maybe you feel like you are further behind than you should be. Maybe you are tired. Maybe you feel weak. Maybe you wonder if you have what it takes to keep going. Hebrews reminds us to consider Jesus.
The goal of an endurance race is not to be the fastest, the goal is to finish.
Cliff Young, a 61-year-old Australian potato farmer, entered a 544-mile ultramarathon in 1983. He showed up wearing overalls and work boots and had no experience racing at that level. While the other runners followed a strategy of running for 18 hours and sleeping for six, Cliff ran slowly and shuffled his way forward. But he never stopped. After five days and 15 hours, Cliff Young won the race, finishing nine hours ahead of the second-place runner. His secret was consistency.
The Christian life is much the same.
“Running with endurance isn’t about how fast you are; it’s about your willingness, against all odds, to continue to the end.”
You may not feel like you are running fast. You may not feel like you are where you should be. But if you are still following Jesus, keep going. Paul eventually reached the end of his race and was able to say:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7
That is the goal. Not perfection. Not speed. Faithfulness.
The race is set before you.
Run with endurance. Look to Jesus. Don’t give up.
Whatever season you are in today, keep pressing forward. Keep your eyes on Christ. Stay connected to His people. Remain faithful in the everyday things. And remember that one day, the race will be finished, and it will all be worth it in eternity.
If you’re ready to take your next step, fill out a Connection Card or visit one of our campus locations. We would love to pray with you, baptize you, or help you get connected.
