I never did run track. However, when I was younger, I loved to run. Being a thin guy, I was pretty fast too. There was a time when a fellow student, who was in track, challenged me to a race around the track. I readily accepted, thinking that I would most likely get beat. After all, I was going up against a track star. To make it challenging, we ran in opposite directions. I won. Man, did I feel good beating one of their track stars!
Another time, in grade school, we were playing softball. At that time, I needed glasses but didn’t know it. Another guy on my team had gotten a base hit. I was up next and got a home run hit. I was so excited I began racing around the bases. But when I got to home plate, I was pronounced “out!” Huh? How’d that happen? Well, I’ll tell you … because I couldn’t see very well, I out ran the guy who had gotten a base hit in front of me. As it turns out, you aren’t allowed to do that! So, I was out. Who figured?
In our daily Christian experience, the writer of Hebrews compares our lives to running a race. Just as in a professional race, part of the strategy is to make ourselves as light as possible to give us running advantage. We strip down to light, skimpy clothing to “lighten our load” as we run.
Lightening our load as Christians means that we put aside sin and habits that can hinder our run. There are habits that may not be wrong in themselves but they can hurt our witness, or distract us from our relationship with God. You see, there are things listed in God’s word that leave no room for interpretation. For instance, we aren’t to be sexually immoral, we are to be faithful to our husband or wife, we aren’t to commit murder or steal. These are “no brainers.” There isn’t room to define gray areas. It’s do it or don’t do it.
But there are other things that, in themselves aren’t wrong, but for us they may be. There could be something that hinders our Christian experience, or that of someone close to us, and in those cases we stop. But that doesn’t mean it is wrong for another Christian. We must be obedient to God for ourselves in those things. But just because we feel we can’t do them doesn’t mean that another brother or sister in Christ can’t either.
That’s because we are running a race for ourselves, but we are also running through a cloud. Hebrews calls it “a cloud of witnesses.” It means a host of witnesses. We must live for Christ for ourselves. No one can do it for us and we can’t do it for someone else. Some of our witnesses are watching us daily. Others are those who have gone before us, hence the comparison to the cloud.
Let me explain. Hebrews 11 is called the Christian Hall of Fame because it describes the lives of many Old and New Testament people who have given their all for there faith and service to God. They are our examples who have gone before. Their lives are examples of faith that we can model our experience after. Even though they aren’t on Earth any longer, they still stand as witnesses to us. When we become discouraged or think we just can’t do it any longer, we can think on their experience and it can give us courage and determination to go on, just like a runner in a race who has become fatigued can see the finish line ahead and gain a burst of speed to hurtle him or her on to the end.
So, our cloud of witnesses, whether passed on, remembered in the Christian Hall of Fame, or are standing there cheering us on, can give us the courage and determination to continue on for Jesus Christ. We can do it because of the cloud.
Here’s the scripture passage as found in Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus Christ is our greatest Witness. He is seated at the right hand of God cheering us on as we run the race of life. Just to be clear, we don’t run against our fellow Christians, but against temptations, sin and the evil in this world. We run to overcome not to be better than another believer.
Jesus is our greatest Cheerleader. He is there to encourage us every step of the way. When we think we can’t make it one more step, He reminds us of the ultimate goal of eternal life. When we think we are about to die of thirst, He is on the sidelines holding out a cool bottle of water for the run.
We can make it. Just get rid of those things that hinder our run. Look to the finish line where He sits by God the Father awaiting our arrival. Hang in there and grab that last burst of speed and head for the finish line. You can do it. The cloud you run through lets you know that others have confidence in you and that those who ran before you made it, so you can too. Run on and don’t stop!
– Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.