RUNNING WITH DETERMINATION

[...] let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus..."
(Hebrews 12:1-2)

There are many distractions which can gather around us, press against us, and hinder us from seeing the goal we run towards. Sometimes it is the little things of our every-day life, redundant, tedious and apparently insignificant tasks that make us feel busy, drained and unprepared to carry out the work of God's kingdom. Or sometimes it is hard trials and strenuous adversities that shake the very foundation of our existence and test the strength and genuineness of our faith. No matter what the nature of those things that make the fabric of our day-by-day life, we need to never lose the vision which God has granted us. We are the children of the light and we should always be in communion with our heavenly Father. There are those moments of spiritual exaltation or of inspiring visions that God grants to us and they are meant to spur and encourage us in our race. But they can never offer us the strength to persevere and to press on towards the goal apart from living with a continuous awareness of God's presence, of the need for the guidance of His Spirit. When we fully trust God’s wisdom and the plans He has for our lives, we can rest in Him and be faithful in the small things as well as in the great ones, not letting ourselves be hindered by trials, the cares of this world or the deceitfulness of riches, but keeping our eyes set on the Lord Jesus.

We need to cast off everything that hinders us and every sin that can separate us from God in order to be enabled to run our race to the end; we need to throw off even the appearance of evil, and even the acceptable things that hinder us from focusing on our Lord Jesus. We need to never allow anything to replace our relationship with Him. The Lord Jesus Himself is the beginning of our natural as well as of our spiritual life, He is the source of our strength for the journey, and He is the very goal we are running towards. Let us always have Him in front of our spiritual eyes as we continue to run with perseverance the race that was marked for us, so that we may not grow discouraged under difficult or ordinary circumstances and lose heart. There is inexpressible and unfeigned joy, mysterious and unbreakable strength to endure, refreshing hope and purpose-giving faith in this exciting journey with the Lord while on this earth. What a glorious joy it will be when we reach our goal, see His face and forever delight in His presence!