June 2, 2014
The Greatest Race…
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1, 2 (NLT)
The Greatest Race…
How do we participate in this great race, the greatest of all? How do we run with endurance…this race which the Great God Almighty has placed before each one us?
I confess that I have become quite amused watching videos and news clips of unsuspecting pedestrians who insist on texting and walking, thus finding themselves in the most unpredicted locations and situations. Current research indicates that it is more dangerous to text while walking than it is to text while driving. Although, I have found myself laughing at the ludicrous videos, I can honestly see how dangerous this can be.
A few years ago I was walking in our Spicewood neighborhood one summer evening. The sun was setting and I was on my way back to the house. Although I was not texting, I was engrossed in an extremely competitive game of Words-with-Friends…I was determined to beat one of my best friends who happened to be an expert at the game…my competitive streak burst forth and I was deep in concentration to find the perfect word to launch me into the position of victory. Think-think-think…The more I thought, the faster I seemed to walk…I have no idea how long I was head-down, but I felt my foot step on something hard and I felt a slithering movement and heard a rapid scraping sound…and then the sound of rattles…(this was not my first encounter with the sound)… With a sense of urgency and fear, I raised my head while intuitively jumping back…I stood watching a five foot long rattle snake moving rather deliberately in a territorial tempo…I realized at that moment how very fortunate I was that the snake had been stretched out, perpendicular to me as I happened to step on his tail…I stood watching him slither across the cul-de-sac…and into the tall grass off the road…I stood still, with my heart pounding…I started my walk back to house without finishing the game…suddenly not caring about the outcome of the contest…In fact, I don’t even know if I ever finished that game…I am not even sure that I told my friend about this very negligent incident, and how very fortunate I was…But, I filed it away in the story file in my mind because I realized the profound lesson of what happens when we take our eyes off the “prize”, the destination…the goal…the finish line…What happens when we allow the distractions of life to entangle us, and to trip us up…On that day, I almost tangled with a real enemy…
I have often thought about Eve…She was a real woman…a woman like me…I have thought about what she was doing when she encountered the serpent in the most beautiful place on earth…Was she bored? Perhaps Adam was busy tending the garden…Did she creep away from his business to explore? Was she busy also…tending to business…but did she let her mind drift into territory which was forbidden? She obviously entertained the suggestions and the taunting of the serpent, enemy…and her thoughts propelled her into forbidden behavior which changed the course of life…Ultimately, through disobedience, she took her eyes off of the prize, the goal, the finish line…The goal of maintaining the unique and beautiful relationship with the Creator, the God Almighty.
I think about Eve because I know myself. I know that my inclination is to allow business, life, competition of a game, problems, relationships, to distract me from “Keeping my eyes” on the prize, the goal, the finish line of “The Greatest Race.” And distractions can and will instigate a disobedient heart and mind if they are not re-established and rerouted back to the course of “The Greatest Race”. The word, race, is from the Greek word, agon, meaning a contest, a race, inward conflict of the soul, contention, fight, a struggle. (Vine’s Dict.)
It is true that the distraction of a game caused me to take my eyes off of the prize, the goal, the finish line which was to safely and responsibly complete an evening walk…And because I had the knowledge of the necessity of caution because of the movement of snakes in the evenings, and because sensible and responsible people watch where they walk…I allowed distraction to interfere with my goal…with my finish line…And I was extremely fortunate this time… However, I have experienced other times in my life when I have allowed the enemy to distract me…to tempt me…to change my focus…to distort truth…much like what happened to Eve…yes, I know myself…
It is truth that “The Greatest Race” is a contest, it is a fight, it is a battle, it is a struggle…it is a conflict within the soul…it is the war to keep the heart and the mind focused…focused on the Life-Giver, the Redeemer, the Restorer, the Joy-Giver, the Hope-Giver, the Light of Life.
“The Greatest Race”
And Jesus fed the five thousand men, and women and children…Immediately following this event, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go to the other side…Jesus went up to the mountain to pray… Jesus saw that the boat was in the middle of the sea as evening came…and it was being tossed about by the waves and the winds. Jesus waited until the fourth watch of the night, around three in the morning, to go to them…and He began to walk across the sea to the boat where His frightened disciples waited. They saw His figure walking toward them, and cried out, “It is a ghost!”(From Matthew 14:22-26)
“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid. “And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:27-33
After studying 1 Peter this spring, I am so encouraged by his story of redemption and restoration…He was guilty of self-reliance, of pride, of independence, of self-determination, of cowardice…lack of courage or resolution…But the Christ invited him to embark on a journey…a race course…a pilgrimage…which would change his life…it would revolutionize the lives of others…and Peter, the Rock, would build the Church upon the cornerstone of Christ…the foundation. Yes, Peter would become distracted, discouraged, discredited, disillusioned, disheartened, dishonored, disqualified, and disgraced…before these things could happen. Peter…the man whom God created, who was known by God…who was known and understood by the Messiah would first be broken…but this man who’s faith and spirit recognized the identity of the Christ…this man, who was willing to step out of the boat into the raging seas because his eyes were focused on the Living Christ…He stood…he walked on the water to go to Jesus! Although he allowed his eyes to be temporarily diverted by the power-filled storm…his immediate response to regain his focus and to get himself back on the course of the race was to cry out to Jesus! “The difference between fear and faith is focus”, according to Dr. David Jeremiah. Peter allowed the circumstances to divert his attention and his eyes away from the Life-Giver, the Hope-Giver, the Messiah….I can identify with this!
But the moment he cried out to Jesus, we are told in Matthew, that Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and caught him…He did not wait hours…He did not wait days…He did not wait years…Jesus immediately reached out His Hand to rescue Peter, the one who was willing to get out of the boat…
“The difference between fear and faith is focus…” David Jeremiah
I find it interesting that no other passenger in that boat was willing to step out…no one else thought to leave the perilous place in which they found themselves…Discussion has revolved around Peter’s moment of fear when he turned his focus to the raging storm…I have heard conversations and even messages concerning Peter’s “failure” when he began to sink! Oh my…how thank-filled I am that his momentary failure was not final! The condition of his heart, as Jesus knew him, revealed a man of faith…of genuine faith, which Jesus established, cultivated, developed over time…Hmmm…Yes, I see…on this journey, this pilgrimage…this course of struggles, of obstacles, of challenges, of momentary failures…during “The Greatest Race”, this is how Jesus draws His very own toward Him, to Him, into His likeness…as He immediately reaches out His Hand, stretches out His Hand to catch the frightened man, the frightened you, the frightened me. Each time Jesus touched Peter, caught Peter, the time when he washed Peter’s feet, the Hand of the Christ stretched out to catch, save, empower, to preserve, to claim, to transform a fisherman by trade…
In His Hand, Jesus held the challenges, the obstacles, the struggles; the Lord filtered them and then helped to bear those things which would befall Peter, but Jesus knew what would be used to build and to fortify the man whom God would use to build the Church…This man, Simon…Peter, was the one who stepped out of the boat…He was the one who in the moment of fear, shifted his focus back from the stormy circumstance to the face of His Savior…And, Peter walked on water…just as Jesus did!
… “Again I looked throughout the earth and saw that the swiftest person does not always win the race, nor the strongest man the battle…” Ecclesiastes 9:11
… “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Now that we spend a great deal of time in the Austin area, runners are everywhere! And it appears to me, that most of them are alert and paying attention to their course, to their surroundings and to their circumstances…And the training required for the “race” is challenging and amazing and such a parallel to the course of life…However, may I share that I am incredibly relieved and thankful that the truth is that in “The Greatest Race”, the victor is not always the strongest, the fastest, the quickest, the smartest, the most creative, the most beautiful, the most talented, the most “successful”…My quick jaunts on my treadmill or elliptical pale in comparison to the gallant runners on the roads of the beautiful Hill Country. But, in “The Greatest Race”, my Almighty God, your God Almighty places the crown on those who finish…who remain faith-filled…for all who eagerly look forward to the appearing of the Messiah…Faith carries the competitor to the finish line…Faith carries the competitor through the course…Faith carries the competitor to the prize…The crown, which the Hand of the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award at the proper time. (From 2 Timothy 4:8)
The Greatest Race…
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1, 2 (NLT)
How do we participate in this great race, the greatest of all? How do we run with endurance…this race which the Great God almighty has placed before each one us?
Endurance…the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships…the ability or strength to continue or last, despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions…stamina…duration…lasting quality…
Let us run with endurance…Yes, we Can! We are surrounded by many witnesses…those here on this earth who are running ahead of us…who are enduring… who are cheering us on! Those who are encouraging us by example to shed the weight of sin and the burden of disobedience so that we may run swiftly… Those who run behind us who are cheering us on through their prayers, their encouragement…They are watching our example of “the run”. They know that if we can…so can they…because our Lord empowers, enables, encourages, embraces, engulfs, escorts us, the contenders, the racers, the contestants…the passengers in the boat…the pilgrims on this journey…we, citizens of Heaven…
And the great crowd of witnesses…those who have gone before us, who have finished the race, who have endured, who have kept the faith…who have remained faith-filled…who have held onto the out-stretched Hand of Jesus, the Christ…those who have crossed the finish line! Yes, we can!
How do we do this? How did Peter have the courage to climb out of the boat onto the raging sea…the boisterous winds…to place his foot onto the surface of water…which defied explanation or reason?
“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
Yes, the difference between fear and faith is where or on what or whom we place our focus…Keep our eyes on Jesus…the CHAMPION who initiates, begins, starts, our faith…the One who perfects our faith…on the course of “The Greatest Race”…
Most of you have viewed the video of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona when the athlete Derek Redmond experienced a stunning and shocking injury and defeat…or failure…I invite you to take four minutes of your time to view the video, once again. As you watch the dramatic event of this seasoned and talented athlete, running the race of his life… place yourself on that track, just as you are running at this moment on the course of life…Perhaps you are stumbling, perhaps you are in pain, perhaps you are injured, perhaps you are discouraged or perhaps you may be running beautifully, (at the moment)… Derek’s father fought away security and all who would keep him from his son as he rushed from the stands to come to his son’s aid. Just as the father stretched out his hand to catch and to carry his son…that is the beautiful picture and image of what your Jesus, my Jesus does for each of us as we focus on the prize…the finish line…the goal…the face of our Loving Father…the face of Jesus, the Messiah. Click here to view the Derek Redmond Video
Dear friends, I repeatedly have to be reminded to refocus…Just as I had to readjust the day that I almost tangled with a slithering enemy…But what is far more devastating in my life occurs when I take my gaze away from the eternal prize…when I allow my life-distractions to get in the way of the joy, the abundance, the Hope, the Life that Jesus holds in His out-stretched Hand…through the joys and through the storms…He is there…
I want to encourage each one of you…I am cheering you on as I am ahead of many of you…behind a few…on this earth…on the course of “The Greatest Race.” And I am incredibly encouraged by the life of Peter and the other contestants who finished their race…who endured the struggles, the obstacles, the challenges, the storms, the catastrophes…those who kept the joy, the Hope, the faith…those whose stories we may refer to in scripture…
And just as Derek’s father whispered to him, “ We’ll finish this together,” our faithful Father is with us always…Jesus is there always…waiting to say, “Well done my good and faithful servant…”Matthew 25:21
I love doing life with each of you and pray that you each fix your eyes on Jesus…the initiator and the perfector of your faith…and let’s just agree with one another that, “We’ll finish this Great Race…The Greatest Race, together!”
Abundant love and joy and blessing,
