Apples of Gold

I thought I was a great driver until I played Mario Kart with my kids. I still haven’t mastered drifting, -well, I’m still working on staying on the road and haphazardly throwing whatever I pick up along the way. Sometimes I even hit my target! Occasionally, in the middle of a race I realize I have been watching the wrong screen. I thought I was doing so well, but in reality my car was off the road trying to drive through a large tree. Needless to say I was not on my way to winning the race, in fact usually I found myself puttering around the track with no one else in sight until I crawled across the finish line much to everyone’s relief.

The Book of Hebrews compares our journey through this life to a race:

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

Our race, like Mario Kart, is filled with distractions and hazards. Sometimes these things temporarily derail us, they might even cause us to crash. Unlike the game, we rarely walk away from a disaster unscathed.

What is Slowing You Down?

This passage from Hebrews gives us some guidance to help us run this race well. The first thing we are admonished to do is get rid of the dead weight.

We all carry excess baggage. Imagine running a marathon carrying a suitcase full of your “stuff”. Not only would it slow you down but it would pose a serious hazard to any runner in your vicinity as well. Things that consume our time, energy or finances can have a negative impact on our ability to run well. We can even find ourselves bustling about doing things for the Lord rather than spending time learning from him. Luke 10 provides a great example of this:

Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:39-42

Ok, I’m convicted, how about you? There are always so many things to do for God. A never-ending parade of needs continually passes in front of our eyes and the danger of finding ourselves completely wrapped up in doing the work of God while neglecting the vital necessity of stopping to sit at his feet and learn from him is constant.

Distractions are not the only thing slowing us down. We are told to especially deal with the sin that trips us up.

Spring is just around the corner and in our community that means potholes will be popping up, or perhaps dropping down, is a more accurate description. Sometimes these holes are virtually invisible, catching drivers completely off-guard as they navigate the roadway. The wise driver will not fall victim to the same pothole a second time.

We also find “potholes” randomly appearing during our race. The wise disciple will identify areas of weakness in their character and bring those flaws before the Lord asking for wisdom and discipline to be able to avoid falling into the same sin again and again.

Who are You Looking At?

If you have been running this race for long you are likely keenly aware that you cannot pull this off by yourself. The key is clearly laid out in the passage we read earlier from Hebrews:

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

I’m told when you drive a motorcycle that you will head wherever you are looking. This holds true for our journey as well. Keeping our eyes on Jesus ensures that we are moving in the right direction. When we maintain eye contact with God we are also aware that as we are looking at him, he is looking at us. In a tough race locking eyes with your strongest supporter can provide the boost that you need to keep moving until you cross the finish line.

What are You Going to Do About it?

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:22-25

May we be willing to look honestly at our distractions and weaknesses and earnestly step forward in obedience with our eyes fixed on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.