by David Brenneman
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3.
We really don't know what we need and really don't know how our desires will affect our future.
When we look at this particular Scripture we see something in place that should be what's shaping our world, but is it?
I do not pretend to speak for God with all certainty, all I know is to write as I am directed.
I have seen my wants, dreams, desires, etc. change over the years. Right now I truly don't know what dreams to dream. I have yet to see where I am to be lead to serve in my local church...and that's going on 5 years.
In my day-to-day life there's at least two portions of my daily living that have been rock solid in my commitment to reading and writing. What needs to yet be transformed or transformed better is those minutes in between what transpires in the morning and what transpires in the evening.
We are in the race the Scriptures say whether we are fully recognizing it or not. We read it right there that we are runners in the Lord.
I can't locate a cartoon of any kind that shows a runner of a race piling on more and more stuff and yet being determined to cross the finish line but likely you just got a good image of that idea.
While our lives are hidden in Christ Jesus our daily lives from sun up to sun down should be at His discretion only. The Gospels do not at all show the Disciples getting PTO (Personal Time Off) days while being students of their Master and Lord Jesus Christ. Nor is it taught anywhere in the Bible that we're granted or encouraged to put our walk with Jesus on hold to pursue personal endeavors. No matter the situation, from CEO to the janitor, from any job or position upward or downward, there is no separation of the life of an individual from their life in Christ.
We read in these life-giving Scriptures that the Spirit places each one of us in the body of Christ as He sees fit. Which means there's a divine purpose to every aspect of your life.
We read in the first letter we have (there were others written to the Corinthian church that we do not have yet 1st Corinthians points to these letters) these two major points.
"All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify." 1 Corinthians 10:23.
"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31.
We may have the ability to chase things that are desirable or want the things that we think we want, but we should first decide how these things are going to help or hurt us in what the Spirit has called us to do.
You, if indeed you are saved, are not your own, you were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We're to honor Him with our bodies. We're running this race of life along side of Jesus. What moves He makes we make. When He goes faster we press on to keep up. When He slows down we slow down. If He stands still we don't keep moving.
That's exactly what we see the Disciples doing in the Gospels.
That and only that. We see them being taught what keeping pace with Jesus looks like and they were commanded to teach others the same.
My calling at this time in my life might only be in attending my local Church while I pursue my studies that the Spirit has me doing...as well as this blog. Such, from my understanding, is the life of an evangelist.
You have a placement in the body of Christ to fulfill. You are likewise a runner on your way to Heaven's finish line. We're to give it our all to be with whatever Jesus plans for our part of this race is to be.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality." Colossians 3:23-25.
We who are in Christ are in it to win it. Casting aside those things that are hindering our running well with Jesus.
We need to choose obedience over obsession with wants and desires. There's absolutely no shortage of distractions in our world these days. We don't even know how deep or how far the intoxicating effects of the things we hold fast to that aren't beneficial for this run we're in are doing to us.
From foods to deeds we can be trapped in anything that will attempt to slow us down from keeping pace with Jesus. We can because that's the stuff the schemes of the devil are about.
As someone once said "know your enemy". Know enough to recognize but do not participate in those things.
Do not compartmentalize your heart between what you want and what God wants for you. Don't attempt any kind of separation of Church and state within your daily living. Scripturally that does not exist. That is a lie of Satan.
So how committed are you in this race that you now are really made aware of that you are in?
What steps are you going to start taking to shed whatever is slowing you down from keeping pace with your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ?
Remember: You will give an account of your life before Jesus. So choose wisely whatever you intend to include in your life.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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