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One of my boys is an avid runner. He crushes it in cross country and track. Watching him race is one of my favorite things in the world!
So when thinking of our theme for this month, endurance, running was the first thing I thought of, and Hebrews 12:1,2 immediately came to mind.
“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1b,2a (CSB)
I’ve learned a lot from watching my son run. The first thing is that he may be like me in many ways, but this is definitely not one of them! Why would anyone torture themselves by running as fast as they can for miles? Nuts!
I’ve also learned endurance is key in every race. My son runs just over three miles for each cross-country race in the fall. He loves middle distance races for track in the spring; the 800-meter race is his favorite. That’s a pretty wide gap in distance. Because of that, he’s had to learn to pace himself differently depending on the length of the run.
Life is like that, isn’t it? Some seasons feel like a marathon, leaving us wondering when we’ll get to the finish line. We have to set a pace that allows us to go the distance in those seasons. (And marathons are L.O.N.G.- long! Obviously, I am not a runner!) Other seasons are sprints when we’re moving fast and furious to get it done because the race is short. And, of course, there are many lengths of seasons in between.
How can we pace ourselves to have endurance depending on our season?
One of my favorite things about the Lord is that in His kindness to us, He almost always tells us how to accomplish the directives He gives. And He does that here in Hebrews 12. Look back at the verses above and tell me if you can see His plan for how we can run with endurance? Do you see it? It’s in the second part: we run with endurance by “keeping our eyes on Jesus” (v.2b)!
This summer, I want to encourage you to find one new way you can practice focusing on Christ Jesus. Here are a few of my favorite ways to do that:
Get up early and pray before everyone else is awake and things get hectic.
Read my Bible when I crawl into bed before I read anything else to help me relax.
Have little check-ins with Him throughout the day by talking with Him about the good and bad things that come my way.
Talk to my family and friends about how I notice Him moving in my life; this always leads to praise!
Point my kids to Him as they share their hurts and trials. Doing this usually leads to praise, too, because it causes me to remember how He’s worked in my life, and He is so, so good.
Work on memorizing one Scripture each week. If I don’t get it perfect, the Holy Spirit still blesses my effort as I’ve meditated on the Word!
Listen to my favorite playlist about how amazing God is!
Keeping our eyes on Jesus doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be regular. Weaving Him in and out of our lives helps to refocus our gaze onto His glory, and it invites Him to lead us as we run. The goal isn’t perfection; the goal is forward movement with Him.
When we look for Him, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:12,13). When we do, our pace will fall into the rhythm He knows is best, and we will begin to develop habits that lead to lasting endurance.
One foot in front of the other, sweet friend, as we keep our eyes on the goal: Christ Jesus.
What daily habits help you keep your eyes on Christ? Tell us in the comments below.
Chrissie Angell is the Executive Director and a Co-founder for Humble Faith Ministries. She is a speaker, writer, and Bible teacher who is passionate about pointing women to Jesus and helping them live out their Kingdom assignments. She and her husband Brian live in Kentucky with their two boys and their yellow lab, Charger.