"Grace for the Whole Race"

by Jack

I remember joining the cross-country team in 7th grade. I had never been someone who could run very fast, but I could run for a long time. I remember the feeling of anticipation and anxiety before every race over not knowing how I will place, but knowing I would try my hardest. Cross country races could be unpredictable depending on where you were running. There could be steep hills, holes in the trail, or other ways you could end up feeling tired or places where you could lose your footing.

Our walk with God has also been described as a race. While we already know the turnout that Jesus has already one, it doesn’t change the fact that we can still get tired in the middle of the race. Our struggles can feel like trying to run up a steep slope during the mid-way check point, our many faults which we commit daily are like times when we find ourselves losing our footing. Perhaps there are even times in which we fall flat on our face right in the middle of the trail. However, God ensures us that despite the many setbacks we may encounter, He has given us Grace for the whole race.

The verse in Hebrews 12:1-2 I believe describes this perfectly. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 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 the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV.

The first thing we see in this verse is that we are not running alone. In fact, we are surrounded by “so great a cloud of witnesses” as it describes in Scripture. This race that we are running has tons of other “runners” running right alongside us ready to support, uplift, and encourage one another. When someone falls, help them up, when someone is weary, encourage them.

Second, let us rid ourselves of anything that hinders us. In life there are so many distractions to what really matters. However, in the end, the only things that will have truly mattered are what we did for The LORD. While I do not believe it is a sin to enjoy life and find pleasure in the many gifts God gives us, we need to remember our first priority and our first love.

Third, run with patience. It can be so easy to get discouraged when we walk by sight. As someone from the East coast, I look for results and I want them fast. However, this mentality can set us up for a feeling of failure when we feel as though we are not meeting our own personal goals or when we feel like our labor is not paying off. It is for this cause that we remember that God is always working behind the scenes, and that we don’t see the whole picture. Let us keep walking by Faith, trusting that The LORD knows what He is doing.

And finally, look to Christ the author and perfector of our Faith. One of the many ways that the world tries to twist salvation is by making it seem like we are running this race to become saved. However, we are running this race in the first place because we are saved. The race has already been won by Jesus Christ with His blood. We are simply running towards Heaven trying to encourage the people running alongside us and trying to get more people to enter the race with us. Whenever we start to feel that bit of doubt creeping in whenever we stumble or trip, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and continue running the race set before us looking to The One who put us on this race to begin with.

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About the writer

Jack is a 25-year-old from the East Coast. His passion for writing comes from desiring to encourage and motivate others in their walk with Christ. Outside of writing, Jack enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time outside. He also creates videos about Christianity on his YouTube channel "christianconvos."