Will The Same Be Said Of Us?
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
Last weekend was the Grey Cup here in Canada. The Grey Cup, for those of you who aren’t diehard Canadian football fans, is like the CFL’s version of the Super Bowl. Since 1909 it’s when the two top teams in the league square off for one game to see who comes out on top.
Most of the first half of the game was a close contest, but by near the end of the fourth quarter, Toronto was winning 41 to 24 with :45 seconds left on the clock. With only 45 seconds to work with, it was pretty inconceivable to imagine the other team could pull off two touchdowns and a couple of field goals, thus giving Toronto a secure win with less than a minute to go. But what impressed me is that even though the outcome seemed like a sealed deal, the other team didn’t stop. Onside kicks, you name it, they didn’t stop giving it their all until the game was done and there was no time on the clock.
A Journey With Eternal Implications
It got me thinking, will the same be said of us? You and I might never face off in a sports game of such great importance that it is televised to the nation, but we are in our own kind of endurance sport just by being a Christian and the implications of that journey might not be TV worthy in our world, but they are of eternal importance. We know we have a job to do, and only so much time left to do it before we pass on to eternity or Jesus comes back, so will we push ahead and still give it our all even when we think we are losing ground or there is no way forward? Will we keep our eyes off the scoreboard and instead trust God with the outcome and focus our eyes on the task he has in front of us? Will we give up part way through because it’s getting too hard, the crowd around us is against us, or we just want to throw in the towel? Or will we choose to keep going, knowing Jesus and those in heaven are cheering us on?
Flipping over to Hebrews 12:1-4:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. Hebrews 12:1-4
Jesus didn’t have an easy life, an easy ministry, or an easy death. But He pushed through because He knew why He was doing it. He saw the greater picture of what would be lost if He would have given up. We too, know the big picture. We know that as Christians we aren’t called to horde salvation to ourselves, but instead spread the good news about Jesus with every person, every nation, every tribe, and every tongue. These verses in Hebrews normalize that in this sport, this race, this calling we are going to get tired and feel like giving up. That’s normal. But these verses tell us how we fight back: "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith."
Look To Jesus
Feeling discouraged when you share the Gospel and plant seeds, but aren’t seeing a harvest? Take your eyes off the results and instead look to Jesus.
Feeling tired as you juggle the demands of life with ministry? Take your eyes off the couch that is calling you to permanently take up residence there and instead look to Jesus.
Feeling persecuted for following your faith in a world that discounts the value of the Bible? Keep your eyes off of your critics and instead look to Jesus.
In Jesus we find strength when we are weary, light in the darkness we face, peace in any storm, and guidance when we falter. We don’t need to be perfect and have it all together, as long as we look to the one who is and follow Him. 24/7/365.
The score board might indicate that you are down, but with Jesus you are never out. And as long as you continue to live out your calling to share His love with a lost and broken world, even when it’s hard, you can know you are right where you should be.
I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:12-14
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