Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? —
"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor lose courage when you are punished by him.
For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives." Hebrews 12:1–6 (RSV)
Randy Fardell could run. He ran long distances in track, consistently winning. In those days, the late 60's at South Hamilton, Randy was one of our best. On the other hand, look at me, do I look like I could run? I don't know if some of the records Randy set still stand at South Hamilton, but I guarantee you could search from now until the end of time and not find my name associated with any track and field record.
This is why it shocked me when the coach came to me and said, "Hatcher, I am putting you in the two-mile race with Fardell." I could not smell any alcohol on his breath, and it was a cloudy day, so he couldn't have been driven mad by heatstroke. My perplexity prompted this explanation, "Randy needs to run a good race, one of his best if we are going to win this meet. The other team has an excellent long-distance runner who could easily win the race. You are going to set as fast a pace as you can run for the first mile. Randy will hang back and coast, then when the rest are tired, he will kick into high gear."
The starter gun went off, I shot out to the lead, kept that pace for the four laps that made up the first mile. As we came around to start lap five of the eight, I ran off the track, sat down hard, gasping for breath. Randy did precisely as planned. He had plenty of strength left, passed all the others ahead of him, and coasted in for a win.
We were both cheered on by our teammates, Randy, because he would win the meet. I because I ran so he could win.
The writer of Hebrews teaches us that we are to run the race set before us. We may not be the best or the swiftest. We may be the one who runs hard at the start to prepare the way for the one who will accomplish the victory. Whatever God calls us to do, is ours to do. We may begin the contest, run our part as best we can, and rejoice with those who finish the race.
Your humble witness to Christ may not transform the world, but you may have been the one who prepares the way for the one who will. The Lord asks us to run the race. All the angels and saints surround us, cheering us on to accomplish what the Father has asked of us.