Roaring Twenties FastSample

Passionate Perseverance 

"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." (Hebrews 12: 1-3)

The author of Hebrews gives us marching orders to forget the past, to be present in the present, and to press on with passionate perseverance into the future! These instructions are to travail in our faith through trails, testing, and temptations. This leads us into treasuring Christ together as a community! 

Sometimes it’s easy to get our focus mixed up, as if an earthy goal or reward was ours for the keeping. Instead, these things are all temporary. There is an eternal promise, a focus, and reward to receive, though. His name is Jesus! 

Christ is our reward and nothing else compares! One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Jim Elliot – a missionary/martyr who said: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” We cannot keep our lives, our desires, our earthly belongings, after all, this world is not our home - we are simply travelers traveling through. 

Fasting is one of the most remarkable ways to take our eyes off of our selves, off of our surroundings and our situations, and onto our savior! We give up the physical, to experience the spiritual. 

Jesus taught it best: that if a person was to find a treasure hidden in a field, they would be excited to sell all they had and give it up to trade it for that field filled with treasure. Christ is our reward! We would be wise to gladly sacrifice and deny self-centered desires which pale in comparison to the joy of knowing our savior personally and delighting in Him! 

Prayer: 

This one thing I ask, O God, that I may dwell in your house all the days of my life! Would you remind me as I’m prone to wander and to get distracted and to forget that you alone are the one that I desire! 

-Josiah Kennealy