Running or Walking, finish the race

Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.

Hebrews 12:1

I have a confession: "I hate running." I run for the bus. I used to run away from the police (another long story). I ran when I played basketball. But generally speaking, "I HATE RUNNING". So it bothers me that God likens the Christian life to a foot race. I have Christian friends who when they travel overseas, they always bring their running shoes. They invite me along for a jog, but I politely decline. Runners seem so much more spiritual and self disciplined than me. I want to put sand in their shoes. (not really)

When I was 30 years old I entered a 7 mile river run in our Lewiston, ID. I ran every night after work to get ready, going up and down the hills around where we lived. I trained for weeks so that I could finish a 7 mile long race. When the race day came along, my friend who ran with me, asked "Is that how fast you're going to run this whole race? I said 'yes" and he promptly ran off and left me in the dust. By the end of the race old ladies with walkers were passing me by. Little kids who alternately ran and walked passed me. I was pathetic, but I finished the race. 

The Christian life is described as a race, but also as a walk. "Walk in the light". "Walk as children of light", "walk in the truth", "Walk in the Spirit", "walk in his ways", "walk in newness of life". Did I mention that I love to walk? Both walking and running are metaphors that describe what it means to follow Jesus. Rather than fixating on "running" OR "walking" the key is to focus and finish. "Run with endurance the race set before you". "Be determined to run the race that is ahead of us (and to finish)."  Walk in the way, the light, love, in his commandments, etc. 

The issue isn't walking or running, but rather our heart's motivation and purpose. Have I determined to follow Jesus? Are my eyes fixed on him? Do I want to please him? walk in his ways, in his light, in his love. Am I determined to finish the race? 

Every step of that 7 mile river run was painful and tortuous for me, but I finished the race. I may even have finished ahead of the old lady with her walker. The race I face today is a much longer and arduous race. I hope that "walking" is acceptable. I think it is, as long as I walk in love, in the light, in the Spirit. 

Lord help me to run or walk with my eyes and my heart fixed on you.  Amen 

I think someone is watching me

Many of the helpers who work for Hong Kong families spend their days worrying about whether someone is watching them. You see, many Hong Kong families have web cams installed so that working parents can check in on their children and check up on their helpers. 

Does having a webcam in the home help you do a better job? I recently read an article about webcams describing one that had 2 way audio. The article said that if a parent saw their child misbehaving they could address it immediately "Johny, stop hitting your sister and do your homework!" Many of us imagine God to be this way, always watching us so he can ZAP us if we do something wrong. 

Hebrews 12:1 in the Contemporary English Version says "Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us!"

Are we being watched? Maybe. The scripture calls them "witnesses". A witness is someone who sees or experiences something. They may be witnessing to us about the grace of God they have experienced OR they may be witnessing how God's grace plays out in our lives OR both. Who are these witnesses? The last 2 verses of chapter 11 identify them:

39All of them pleased God because of their faith! But still they died without being given what had been promised. 40This was because God had something better in store for us. And he did not want them to reach the goal of their faith without us.

They are the believers, the faithful who have gone before us. They are runners who have finished their race and they are waiting for you and me to finish ours. Last weekend was the Hong Kong Marathon. The runners who finished first were greeted with prizes and lots of media attention. Those who finished last were greeted by a few friends and the clean up crews picking up the garbage left by the spectators. That is not how it works in the race of faith. In the race of faith, nobody gets their prize until everyone has finished. In the race of faith, the other runners are not competing against you, but with you. We are like a cross country team, and the whole team has to cross the line before the prizes are given out. So they wait, and perhaps they watch, but if they watch - it is not with condemnation, but concern. They want us to run well. They want us to win. When we stumble their groans are the groans of the home team's fans. When we successfully jump a hurdle, their cheers are the cheers of teammates. They care about us, and want us to win. 

Their watching is the watching of a big brother or sister who has experienced what we are facing and want us to do well, to do better than they did. God's watching is the watching of a parent as their child takes their first steps, rides their first bike, graduates from university. It is the watching of love, of hope, of faith. 

Are we being watched? Yes, but those watching love us and want us to run well. How has your race been so far? My race has had some awful falls and stumbles, but I'm still running, and they are still waiting, hoping and cheering for me.