Both my husband and son ran track in high school, and I’ve always loved to watch them run! I especially loved watching the relay races at the end of the meets, when each team would take the top four runners to compete. This was a team effort and not so much an individual one, for even then, the fastest runners weren’t guaranteed a victory if one failed to pass off the baton correctly.

As much as I love track, I never noticed that chapters 11 and 12 in the book of Hebrews was likened to a relay where one generation is passing the baton to the next. Notice,

1.) We get our start in the race of life by remembering that we’re not alone:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” -Hebrews 12:1a

Does it comfort you to know we’re not the only ones to take this journey? Others have traveled this way before, as Hebrews 11 talks about. Their example gives us encouragement, but what really encourages me is to know that not one of those named in the “hall of faith” ran a perfect race, and neither will we.

We'll find runners today in our local churches that we’re meant to take this journey with, and we’re much stronger when we do, for seeing such courageous examples around us can give us the courage we need to charge ahead. Paul knew that when he wrote to the church in Corinth,

“For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” -1 Corinthians 4:17

We may also be called upon to be that "Timothy" in other's lives!

2.) The second key is to “… let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” - Hebrews 12:1b

Runners today wear as light of clothing as possible. I know my boys wouldn’t even wear socks in their running shoes and one of the runners on my son’s team didn’t even like to wear shoes!

Our race isn’t much different. We can’t run very well if we’re carrying lots of baggage. Those things that seem so satisfying in the moment can take our eyes off the prize. It’s best to let go of all the excess baggage as we set off, or as soon as you realize you’re carrying it along!

Jesus told us in John 14, “If you love Me you’ll keep My commands…” knowing He didn’t give us those commands to trap us, but to free us to run a great race. Which brings us to our third and final key found in these verses

3.) Look to Jesus,  
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:2

We may glance at the witnesses around us at time and be careful to get rid of the things that weigh us down, but the best encouragement is in the prize that’s waiting for all of us who choose this journey (race).

Paul also wrote about this journey, and the prize that is waiting for all those who choose this course, to the Philippian church. In it, he shared his greatest desire which also happens to be my life verse, “My determined purpose is this, that I may know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him even in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” -Philippians 3:10–11

The great news for us today is, it doesn’t matter where you are, or how far along you are in your race, you can start right where you are! Notice,

 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (emphasis mine)

Does it comfort you to know that even at this time in Paul’s life he was still pressing forward to gain the prize? It does me.  As each of us run and keep our eyes on Jesus, God will continue His works in us, making us more and more like His Son; until He bring us to our long-awaited reward.

My prayer for you today is: