Hebrews 12:1-2

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.

Life is not a sprint but a marathon, so we all need to learn how to ‘hang in there’ through thick and thin. Here, the writer to the Hebrews reminds his readers that this is what the life of faith is all about. We have to learn to endure, and he clearly has in mind that the Church to which he was writing was likely to experience considerable persecution and suffering. If they thought that living for Christ was going to be a leisurely walk in the park then they needed to change their thinking quickly.

By itself that would be a rather bleak message. But the whole purpose of the letter was to bring encouragement. The writer knew that as we focus our attention on Jesus we will gain all the inspiration and strength that we need for the road ahead. He urges his readers to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus. His language is very specific and makes it clear that there will be many other things that could distract our attention. We will need to shape our lives in such a way that we keep our focus on Jesus. I have many friends who find it helpful to start the day in prayer. Many of them use these notes to encourage them as the day begins. My father was a businessman and he travelled up to London every day for 40 years. Throughout that time, he set aside part of the journey for reading the Bible and praying. Every year he read through the whole Bible; these times with God, amid the bustle of the morning commuters, helped to keep him focused on Jesus. It really doesn’t matter how you do it, but find ways that help you to maintain your focus on Jesus.

Question

What more can you do to make Jesus the daily focus of your attention?

Prayer

Lord God, I thank you for Jesus and ask that you will help me to make him increasingly the inspiration and strength of my life. Amen