“We have all these great people around us as examples. Their lives tell us what faith means. So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. 2 We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 ERV
Dave and I were visiting our oldest daughter Kim in Washington State several years ago. She was competing in an Ironman competition. 70.3 miles of swimming, hiking, and running.
I went with her to the check in. There were athletes there of every age, size and physical condition. Each would compete more against themselves than against the other competitors. Each would ask their bodies, their minds and their emotions to push the limits in order to complete the race.
I remember thinking about us a Christians. How often do we pursue our goal of being Christ-like and then back off when it gets a little too hard or we get injured by the words or actions of others?
These competitors were a reminder once again to keep my eye on the prize, to take time to encourage others in the race, to share things I know about this course and how to battle on through the pain.
It’s worth it you know. Let’s all keep our eyes on Jesus and finish strong!