Going the Distance

Ready:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.” Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT

Set:

If you have ever won a championship, you know how hard it is to be the best! To make it through the grind of a whole season, plus playoffs, you must have something special in your locker room. You must have a team that is willing to go the distance, face challenges and respond to hardship with flying colors. You need something to hold onto that will give you the motivation to make it.

The same goes for our walk with God. He has great plans for us! But they will not come to us without challenges. Nothing of great significance comes without great sacrifice. And when we face moments of great sacrifice, we must remember where to focus.

Some of us have heard the term “perception is reality.” What we see is what is real to us. The author in Hebrews is encouraging us here to fix our eyes on Jesus even in the midst of hardship. Even though we face trials and tribulations, we can fix our eyes on Christ and experience the reality of what God says instead of what we might see.

We are also encouraged to see here that Christ is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, not us. This takes a tremendous burden off the believer. We are not told to look to ourselves to sustain and hold up our faith journey, but instead to look to Christ and trust in His power to be displayed in our lives. 

Christ considered the cross “joy,” what an incredible perspective He had. He loved the world so much that the suffering He endured on the cross and the victory He accomplished for us was His joy. Do we have the same perspective when we face trials? As we wade through the torrential waves of life, may we remember the example of Christ and how He walked His journey with joy and patience. 

Go:

• What kind of hope do these verses give you? Why?
• Are you ever tempted to maintain your faith by yourself and without Christ? Explain.
• Is there sin in your life that is easily entangling you? Share about it and how you can give that over to Christ. 

Weekly Challenges:

Take 30-60 minutes this week and do something that brings you joy. Don’t feel guilty about it! Just enjoy yourself. Let that joy spill over into your work. Use it to remind yourself of why you are on this journey with God and let it motivate you to keep going!

Reading Plan: 

Day 92 - Hebrews 12-13

Day 93 - James 1-2

Day 94 - James 3-5

Day 95 - 1 Peter 1-2

Day 96 - 1 Peter 3-5

Day 97 - 2 Peter 1-3

Day 98 - 1 John 1-3