With the right approach we can persevere no matter what.
I would assume that most mature believers accept the fact that being a Christian does not necessarily mean an easy life. That’s not to say that God never intervenes to help us or provide, at times, some reprieve from our difficulties. God can help and often does. However, being a Christian does not mean avoiding pain or facing challenging times. Unfortunately, this reality can make holding on to faith sometimes really difficult. And that is why so many people give up their faith and, sadly, their eternal reward. When you read through the Hebrew letter, it is clear that the recipients were facing persecution and hard times and, as a result, were in danger of giving up their faith in Jesus. The author of the Hebrew letter wrote with the intent to encourage these Christians not to give up. As part of the many encouragements given in this letter, the author, in chapters 12:1-4, uses the analogy of an athlete to describe the Christian life. In doing so, the author provides us with five important ways Christians can persevere in their faith when life gets tough. These are:
1. Draw energy and inspiration from your many supporters.
When the lockdowns first happened in Australia in 2020, the AFL football teams continued to play their games without the usual crowd. At times there was barely anyone in the stands. Watching the games on television, it is evident that it was missing its usual energy. The games just didn’t seem the same without a stadium full of people shouting support for their team. Having been to several games at two of the large stadiums in Melbourne where they were near capacity, I have to say that the crowd really makes the atmosphere exciting.
From a player’s perspective, what often helps them put in that little more effort and rise to the occasion, especially when the game is challenging, is the supporters cheering them on from the side.
In Hebrews chapter 12:1, the writer compares the Christian life to a race that is in a stadium full of supporters cheering us on and willing us to win. But, of course, there are people and forces that do not support us and want us to lose. This opposition – often presented through shame, sin, persecution and evil – are the same type that tried to keep Jesus from being victorious. If we focus on this opposition, we will likely become discouraged and drop out of the race. However, rather than do that, we need to listen to the cheers of our supporters. Who are these supporters? Everyone that has every lived by faith and passed on before us. That includes all those mentioned in Hebrews 11 and any loved ones who have died while faithful to Jesus.
Of course, we can’t physically hear those voices. Nor do I think the writer intends to convey the idea that those people can physically see us as while live here in this life. So instead, the writer encourages us to hear their voices through faith and draw energy from their support by knowing their spiritual intent for us. (Note: Abel though dead, still speaks Hebrews 11:4).
So, when you feel like giving up your faith in Jesus, ignore the forces of evil that want you to fail. Instead, listen with spiritual ears to those who cheer you on and eagerly wait for you to join them in eternity with God.
2. Lighten your load.
No one can run a physical race to the best of their ability when wearing heavy clothing and adornments. Nor can they run well when they are carrying bags or heavy objects. The few times I have tried running with a backpack on, I found it irritating, cumbersome and even dangerous. As a kid, I remember trying to run through a gate with my backpack, and one of the straps got caught on the gate. While my upper body remained connected to the gate, my legs kept going until they were both in the air, and I came crashing down to the ground. It was pretty embarrassing.
No, when we run a race, we usually take off heavy clothing and anything that can weigh us down and keep us from running our best. Using this understanding, the writer of Hebrews says the same thing needs to happen from a spiritual point of view. In chapter 12:1, he writes, “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”.
You cannot be at your spiritual best and persevere when you are weighed down by mental, emotional and spiritual baggage caused by things such as hate, fear, resentment, sinful habits and guilt from past sins. Nor can we run well when we are filling our minds with concern about the world and persecution. Rather than hanging on to these things, we need to throw them off and not look back. We do that by reminding ourselves that we are a new creation through Jesus Christ and are, in fact, participants in a spiritual race.
3. Keep within the markings of the race.
You cannot have a race when everyone runs in any way they wish. No, what makes a race is people running in the same direction towards the same goal. To ensure this happens, officials usually mark out a race in advance by either signposts or, more commonly, in an arena with white lines. As long as athletes stay within the marked lines for that race and run in the right direction, they are not likely to be disqualified or fail.
In Hebrews 12:1, the writer encourages Christians to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Spiritually, you cannot expect to come to God on your terms. You cannot, as some suggest, find Him through different ways or means. Not every religion or person professing to know God is running the spiritual path marked out for humans to run. There is only one way to God: through Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus states, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Notice Jesus says that He is the way. In Hebrews 12:2, the writer reveals that Jesus is “the author and perfector of our faith.” Jesus is the starting line and the finishing line. That means that the only way to make it in the spiritual race for eternal life is to stay within the boundaries of Christ. You do that by holding to the correct teachings about Christ and living according to His will. John writes, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have a God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him” (2 John 9-10).
4. Stay focused on the finish line.
Staying focused till the end of a race is essential if you want to win. I recently watched an online clip where a young man was clearly positioned to win an athletic event. He was way ahead of all the other runners. Yet near the end of the race, he slowed down, began celebrating, and became distracted. Unfortunately, he was unaware that a second runner was approaching him fast. As the young man slowed and came to the finish line, the other runner just made it past him and won. The disappointment and shock on the young man were telling. He lost because he failed to keep racing until the finish line. He needed to focus on the end of the race and keep going strong until he was over the finishing line.
Sadly, many Christians run well for a while but then become arrogant, distracted and even fall away because they lose focus on the finishing line. That is why, in the Hebrew letter, the author encourages readers to fixate on Jesus. In chapter 3:1, he writes, “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”. Jesus gets us into this race through our faith in Him. However, Jesus is also is the finish line. We must stay focused on Him, running towards Him until our race is over.
5. Model the ultimate hero.
Successful athletes often model themselves after their sporting heroes. That is because it is far better to learn from someone who has made it than from someone who hasn’t. We have the ultimate model when it comes to this race for eternity. Again, it is Jesus. Jesus is not only the perfector of faith in that He enables us to mature it. He is also the perfector of faith because He completed his own His race and is now with the Father in eternity. And one of the things He modelled for us was endurance. In the face of opposition, humiliation, suffering and death, he also focused his mind on the result, joy, and pushed through to the end. Since Jesus didn’t give up, even amid great difficulty and in the face of significant opposition, neither should we.
That is why the writer in Hebrews 12: 4 “In your struggle against sin, you haven’t resisted to the point of shedding your blood”.
I believe His point is that the Hebrews were not yet suffering to the level of Jesus. Since He suffered to the degree of shedding His blood and still didn’t give up, why should they give up when they were not suffering to that extent?
Every time we think of quitting the Christian race because we believe it’s too hard, we need to remember Jesus and how He didn’t give up despite the greatness of His suffering and persevere until we experience the joy of eternity.
Conclusion:
So how can we persevere in our faith when life gets difficult?
1. By drawing energy and inspiration from our crowd of supporters.
2. By lightening our load.
3. By keeping within race markings.
4. By staying focused on the finish line.
5. By modelling the ultimate hero.
