The Race

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”  ~Hebrews 12:1

I love that verse.  It captures an important aspect of the Christian life – the struggle, the ongoing journey, the intensity, and the victory.

I’m thinking about two aspects of this parallel in particular and it all revolves around the fact that we aren’t flying solo.

First, there are our witnesses.  In the stands.  Shouting.  “Come on!  You can make it!  Get back up!  Take another step!  Don’t quit!”  Men like Enoch, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jeremiah, Stephen, and Paul.  Women like Sarah, Rahab, Hannah, Pricilla, Mary Jesus’ mother, and Mary Martha’s sister.  And more.  My great grandpa.  My grandma.  They’re there.  All those people who have crossed the line and finished the course.

If they were here, any of them, they would tell you and tell me to keep on, keep going, never give up, that God’s strength shows up in our weaknesses.

A picture comes vividly to my mind.  Last week, my sister, my dad, and I took the physical test to progress from a white belt to a yellow belt in the Gospel Martial Arts Union, a Christian martial arts organization.  The test is designed to be so hard that you will only complete it if you are totally committed and not willing to quit.  They don’t want half-hearted students who aren’t willing to work hard.

When we entered the room to begin the test, as we were preparing to begin, one of the test administrators, a black belt, told us that his one piece of advice for use was, “Don’t quit.”  Timely advice.

The test was hard.  I’m not weak and it pushed me way beyond what I thought I was capable of doing.  There were times when it sure would have been easier to quit than to keep on.

But what comes to my mind so vividly was the test administrators’ interaction with us.  They knew when it was getting hard, when we were wearing out, and they knew we could keep going – even if we didn’t.

“Come on!  Don’t stop!  Get back up!”

“You can make it!  Straighten your legs out!  Straighten them!”

“Don’t quit!  Don’t slow down!  One more minute!”

“Give it more power!  Come on!”

They were our witnesses, who had already passed the test, and knew what was possible.

That’s what our witnesses in this race and fight of the Christian life are doing.  Can you hear them?

Second, not only do we have our witnesses, who have finished the course, whose lives tell a story of the faithfulness, strength, and mercy of God, but we have each other.

All throughout the New Testament, Christians are exhorted to encourage one another, to build each other up, to live in harmony, to pray for each other.  The Christians around us are our fellow runners and our fellow fighters.  And we are to hold each other up.

Another thing I remember about the yellow belt test was how all of us who took the test encouraged each other.  I remember people saying, “Come on!  Just three more!”  I remember people who were struggling to complete their own tasks looking over and seeing someone struggling more than they.  Calling out their names.  “You can do it!”  Cheering for each other.  Even grabbing a gi (formal karate training uniform) and helping pull someone up.

That’s how we ought to be living in this race and fight of the Christian life.  We need to be the ones telling our brothers and sisters, “Come on!  Don’t quit!  God’s strength is sufficient! … Give me your hand and we’ll run together.”  Grabbing the arm of the one who is falling and pulling them up.

This requires two things:  First, getting our eyes off ourselves and looking to the needs of others.  It is impossible to encourage someone else if all we can think about is ourselves.  It just is.  And it’s impossible to see the one who needs to be pulled up when all we see is ourselves. 

Second, we need to be willing to accept help.  You won’t always be the one who is strong.  There will be days when you just want to throw in the towel and pitch the running shoes.  And you will need that helping hand.  Trust me.  But the thing is, before we can accept help, we have to be open and admit to not being perfect.  Perfect people don’t need help, or so everyone thinks.  But they do.  Because they’re not perfect.  Neither are you.  And if you wear a shiny veneer of perfection, when you really need help, no one will know it.

When you are almost out of energy physically, others can see it.  And that’s when you will hear them cry, “Keep going!  Don’t quit!”  Be open and willing to accept encouragement and a helping hand.  You never know when you might need it.

And so, my friends, keep going.  Don’t quit.  Never give up.  By God’s grace, we’ll make it together.