Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
Hebrews 12:1-2
Let me be the first to say, I wasn’t the greatest athlete growing up, but there was something about a running race that always got me excited. My favourite part of the Olympics was always the athletics, Mo Farah’s double gold in 2012 and seeing Usain Bolt break records in the 100m and 200m - unforgettable moments. Whether it’s a sprint or a marathon, there really is something so satisfying about getting across that finish line.
In Hebrews Paul encourages us, in the race that we are on to ‘persevere’, to keep pushing on. I know this season for many of us hasn’t been the best and may not have been what we imagined it to be, but the encouragement is for us to persevere, and Paul says we can do that by ‘fixing our eyes on Jesus’. In a world filled with so many different narratives and stories fighting to capture our attention and take our gaze away from Jesus, it really is easy to get distracted and even overwhelmed. This might make us feel like we are not where we need to be. But the invitation for us in the midst of this season as we look ahead to Christmas is to fix our eyes on Jesus. He is the author and perfector of our faith,He is the reason why we run and for whom we are running, it all leads to him.
Simply put, Jesus is the encouraging coach running alongside us, cheering us on every step and he is also the prize at the end of this race at the same time.
Advent Activation
Pause for a minute, close your eyes if that helps, and picture Jesus, fix your eyes on him and as you do that you may want to answer these questions.
Where is Jesus in your life?
What is He saying to you?
