Friday, August 7th

Friday, August 7

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

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 endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder 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.

A number of years ago, when I was still running as part of my regular exercise routine, I hopped on a treadmill at a local fitness center. As I recall, my plan was to run for about 20 minutes at about an 8 to 9 minute per mile pace.

I was cruising right along, about 10 minutes into my run, when I sensed something was a little off. It took a few seconds to realize what was happening, but the treadmill had sped up just a bit and I was running slightly faster than my normal pace. I glanced down at the control panel to see if I had accidentally touched the speed button and I noticed that I was now running not an 8 minute pace, but at a 7 ½ minute pace. I suddenly realized that the treadmill was speeding up all by itself.

Now the reasonable, intelligent thing to do would have been to hop off the treadmill, which would not have been hard to do at a 7 ½ mile pace, and inform someone that the machine had malfunctioned. Then to simply get on a different treadmill to finish my workout. That’s not what I did. I took it as a kind of personal challenge. I thought to myself, “OK, Mr. Treadmill, you want it, you got it! Let’s see what you got!?” And I picked up the pace.

Soon the machine was whirring at a 7 minute per mile clip. Then 6 1/2 ; then 6. Within a couple of minutes the whir turned into a roar and people around me were interrupting their workouts to watch me assault the 4 minute mile barrier and I was in trouble.

What could I do? I couldn’t continue that pace for much longer; and if I tried to jump off the treadmill at that speed I risked running through the plate glass window in front of me! But I had no choice, I had to get off that crazy thing! So I grabbed hold of the hand-rail on the treadmill and leapt off hoping not to seriously injure myself in the process. I landed rather awkwardly, staggering toward the window; but, thankfully, I didn’t run through it. I did, however, learn a lesson!

I learned that trying to run faster than I am able is a dangerous thing to do. I learned that left to my own instincts I can make bad decisions. I learned that the best way to win the race is to run the right pace; a pace that can be sustained.

Paul writes:

...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...

This tells me two things. First, we don’t have to prove how fast we can run this race; we’re just called to run with endurance. Second, we’re not running this race on our own, rather, we’re following after Jesus himself.

Jesus is the one setting the pace and the direction of our race. So long as our eyes are on him, we will run the right speed, the right direction, and we will finish the course!

Pastor Brian Coffey