When I was in school my teacher would always say, "When in doubt look about is a phrase that we could do without." It was something he would say before we would take a test and we would all laugh. We were allowed an index card of information for the test to look back over. It's something that stuck with me and hit me when my Pastor was preaching the past 2 weeks on the book of Hebrews chapter 12.
I wanted to share a little bit of what I got and hopefully, you will be encouraged. This is a good opportunity for you to actually go get your bible. I mean, that's kinda an important part of this. Yes, I could put the words here but what good does that do. Just get your bible.
As we start reading the chapter we see that we are to run the face with patience and the ace that is set before us. Each of us has a race we are supposed to be running. WE run our own race. Lately, I've been 'looking about' and it has caused me to root some bitterness. Social Media is a GREAT way to begin roots of bitterness. I would see pictures of people who I used to run my race alongside. People I loved, and still love, dearly. I would be extremely discouraged because I wasn't a part of their race anymore. They seemed to carry on without me.
That's the thing. We aren't called to run our race with people forever. Because it wouldn't be our own individual race. We have a race designed for us specifically. Sometimes we have to depart from people and move on. We should be able to look back at them and be so happy for their own race. We should cheer them on. We should encourage them. But yet, we get so hung up on what they are doing and how they can do it without us. Instantly, we become bitter.
Satan was really using this with me in the last few weeks. I was having a really hard time accepting that people didn't need me to help them run their race. It was more of a control thing in my own mind. It's not fun to not be needed anymore. I stopped doing exactly what verse 2 tells us to do. I got my sight on something else and everything that was going right in my own life started feeling like a failure. And trust me, Satan will use that too!
When you run your race. You have to focus on God. You have to look straight and keep your head up. You can't look around at others. Jesus ran his race. He ran straight for the cross and did what God had, unto death. We get whiny when God asks us to forgive someone that's done wrong to us and forget what Jesus went through. If we would start looking at it in that picture frame, we might actually be quicker to obedience.
This chapter talks about chastening. Which is a phrase you don't hear in church anymore because we don't wanna hear about the times when we should be corrected. If you are a parent, think about this. Stop correcting your children. Just for a week and see what happens. This is what God does to us. He does it for our benefit and our good. Not to hurt us. Not to be mean. It's to help us and that's what we don't see. Too many churches want to just give you a sugar message to keep you coming back and don't want to make sure that you know that God loves you so much that he wants to correct you.If you aren't a parent. Think about how this generation looks because they have no one correcting them. They are self-absorbed and don't demand instant gratification. They don't understand the concept of working for things or putting forth the effort to gain anything.
We have to take some time in our day and make sure we are on the right path. That we are being directed by God. That we are taking the steps that he asks US to take. But we also need to look and cheer our friends on who are in their own race. Not to get caught up in what they are doing, but encourage them. Keep your focus on God and not get sidetracked in another race. If we do, or we step out of line. Be willing to be corrected. Get back on track quickly and without hesitation!!!
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