Model of Endurance

October 30, 2016 Background Scripture: Hebrews 12 Lesson Passage: Hebrews 12:1 – 13 Long distance runners are noted for their remarkable endurance. As a result of their training, they are able to push their bodies to perform over great distances for an extended amount of time. They train for a very long time to establish a pace that gives them competition level performance. They understand that their challenge is distance and they must be prepared to push their bodies for an extended time to achieve the desired distance. Unlike sprinters, they do not take off quickly only to realize that a burst of speed is not sustainable for a long distance. They begin at a moderate pace with the intent to finish the race. These techniques have been tried and proven over thousands of years dating back to the ancient games. In those ancient games, athletes from many places competed before the cheering crowd. This appears to be the example the author had in mind when he talked about living the Christian life. He used the many heroes and heroines of faith as a great cloud of witnesses cheering on Christians who are pressing through life as ambassadors for Christ. The emphasis on patience, or endurance, is indicative of the type of race Christian living and service are compared to. This is not a sprint that requires a great burst of energy that soon fizzles out. This is a long distance contest and therefore patience and pace become paramount to success. The other reference seems to point to the practice of the ancient athletes competing in the nude. Anything that could possibly slow them down, hold them back, or restrict freedom of movement was removed so that it would be a true competition of human ability. In the text, the author encourages Christians to lay aside any weight—such as sin—that could so easily become a hindrance to our endurance and ability to finish the race without being disqualified. Jesus is our supreme example and motivation. What he did is far greater than any of us are called to do and he finished his race superbly. He overcame all obstacles he encountered. Jesus overcame much hostility that challenged his endurance and this should serve as encouragement to us. Part of our Christian training involves being disciplined by some challenges in life. We should look at some of life challenges as discipline imposed by the Lord as a demonstration of his love towards us. God’s discipline allows us to share his holiness when we endure it as His children. Our endurance becomes an evident sign of our spiritual maturity. With maturity comes the knowledge that discipline makes us better. We learn this when we are disciplined in the flesh by our parents and then grow up and reflect on our childhood. This text admonishes us to consider that God, our Heavenly Father, is far greater than our human parents and His discipline provides far more benefits for us. As we run this Christian race, we are called to run with endurance. Robert C. Hudson September 17, 2016