Daily devotional · August 31
Running Your Own Lane
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews pictures life as a race and the saints of the past as a crowd in the stands. Because of them, we are told to throw off whatever slows us down and the sin that clings so closely, and to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Notice that it is your own race. Comparison is one of the heaviest weights we carry, and it is worth dropping. The secret to endurance is the second verse: fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before him. As August ends and another season begins, Hebrews 12:2 is a good place to start again. Runners keep their eyes forward, not on the person next to them. Today, name one thing that slows you down, whether a habit, a grudge, or a comparison, and ask Jesus to help you lay it aside.
Also read
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
Prayer
Jesus, author and finisher of my faith, help me lay aside what slows me. Keep my eyes on you as I run.