Life Be Life-ing
Dr. Henry Hargrow, Chaplain

We are all in a season that a strong word is needed from the Lord amid social confusion and clarity in this country. 

Hebrew 12:1-3 (NIV) 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. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The author of Hebrews compares the believer’s life to a race. In the believer’s life, we run the race of faith. I’m not talking about a 100-yard dash but an ultra-marathon. Unlike an athletic competition, the race for a believer lasts a lifetime. We don’t strive for the crown that only one can receive. We strive to finish strong in our faith. God makes us all winners when we cross the line. But know my family that this race requires endurance and faith. You may or may not be in physical shape to run in a marathon, but you can be in the kind of spiritual shape it takes to run this Christian race.

Some of you have known personally suffering and hardship. Even some of you have found yourselves at a crossroad and even question your faith at times.

Life be life-ing.

The most common reason that people get off course is simple, life gets in the way. When trials come, there is a temptation to drop out for a while and let others do the running. Times when you had a faint of heart and slacked off.

This life was never intended to be a picnic but sometimes it bears more resemblance to a battlefield. For some of you to admit that life is hard implies that God is not enough, that your faith is small, that your ungrateful but that’s far from the truth. Sometimes you are worn out/down by life issues. That doesn’t mean you want to give up.

It is at those time we need to hear a word from the Lord. In those times family, we need the wisdom of the wise to guide us through the heavy days and dark nights. In those hard times, in those trouble times, we find out who we really are and in whom we really trust.

If we tap into the strength to stay the course, we can find faith.

Difficulties, disappointments and heartbreaks will come. Just know that trials can manifest to us the discipline of love. They allow opportunity for the demonstration of adequacy, and they expose us to truth.

Allow me to share with you a strategy to stay the course and run this Christian race.

The 1st strategy is we need to get rid of all hindrances.

The goal in this Christian life isn’t comfort but faithfulness. You don’t run with heavy boots and a trench coat, not if the race is long and you want to win.

We’re carrying around too much baggage.

The 2nd strategy to get rid of “the sin that so easily entangles." This writer doesn’t mention any particular sin. It’s not a sin, but the sin. There are many sins that could be mentioned at this point, but the idea is that particular sin which trips you up and throw you off course. You know where you are weak. Whatever that sin is, it must be stripped off and avoided at all costs.

Why do people give up on life so quickly? It boils down to this sin—unbelief. They stop taking God at His Word. They stop living by faith and start living by their feelings.

If you’re a person who lives by your feelings, you won’t run the race well. Your feeling will throw you off course. I’m not saying to be callous but I’m not telling you to be weak and timid either. Know this, it’s impossible to run well while you’re carrying around the baggage of doubt and self-pity.

Get rid of all hindrances. Throw them off.

Get ready for hardship. "Let us run with perseverance ["patience" in the KJV]." Perseverance" imply that running the race won’t be easy! There will be times when we feel like stopping. When that happens, what must we do? Persevere! Stay the course.

We don’t invent the course—that’s not our job, it’s Gods. Our task is to stay on the course, the one God marks out for us.

I am a fan of the track and field. If you are incline, noticed what a runner does with his eyes? It’s very important and key to the race. If he/she looks around while running, they might stumble. If he/she looks back, he could break stride or even fall. To run efficiently, the runner must run with a proper focus. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."

When life gets hard, stay the course and keep on running with our eyes fixed on Jesus.

When life gets hard, remember who Jesus is and remember what Jesus did. "Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Instead of feeling the shame of the cross, Jesus scorned it. Scorn is “Contempt of disdain felt toward a person or object considered despicable or unworthy.” So, while the leaders were attempting to shame Jesus by public humiliation, He did not receive their shame; He scorned their shame, He disregarded the shame.

Because the Father loved His Son, He gave His Son a gift, an elect people who would exist for His praise throughout eternity. And to prove His love for His Father, the Son entered the world to redeem this chosen people.

The Son finish His course and answered, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do."

The joy set before Jesus was fulfilling His Father’s plan. It was the anticipation of returning to heaven, looking into the eyes of the Father He loves, and saying, "Mission accomplished."