Houston Devotional//Running the Race of Faith

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. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Hebrews 12:1–3, ESV

In the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, featuring Tom Hanks, Forrest decides to go for a run without any particular reason or cause. He runs across America multiple times, attracting followers who join him on his journey. Forrest continued running for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours before abruptly stopping, declaring he was tired, and heading home. That’s quite a long time to run without a specific purpose. Forrest’s sudden stop left his followers bewildered. What were they going to do now that their inspiration and hope for running had walked away?

Unlike the fictional character Forrest Gump, followers of Jesus Christ run a race already won through Christ’s death and resurrection. Every believer faces the same challenge: keep running in a chaotic world. Additionally, facing hostility toward our faith, the spread of many false doctrines, and the ever-present allure of our lives before Christ can intensify our struggles and strip away our hope. The Christians in the book of Hebrews endured an environment strikingly similar to ours.

The relationship between Christianity and Judaism posed a significant issue for the early church in Rome. The author of Hebrews addresses Jewish Christians who were contemplating abandoning their faith in Jesus Christ due to increasing social and physical persecution from non-messianic Jews and the Roman government. These early Christians needed encouragement to persevere and assurance about Christianity—that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, proves sufficient for salvation. The author highlights the superiority of Jesus Christ over angels, Moses, the old covenant, and the priesthood, affirming that Jesus deserves complete trust and devotion. By interpreting the Old Testament through the lens of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, the author demonstrates the superiority of the new covenant established through him.

Although the experiences of modern Christians differ from those of Jewish Christians in first-century Rome, many of the same challenges persist. Christians today need encouragement to stay strong in their faith and continue their spiritual journey, especially when facing obstacles and the temptation to revert to their lives before Christ.

The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. All long-distance runners undergo rigorous training and follow specific plans to build endurance and strength. The passage in Hebrews 12:1–3 provides a training strategy for running the Christian race of faith.

  1. Runners persevere through encouragement and inspiration from others (12:1). The “great cloud of witnesses” refers to the faithful individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11. Those Old Testament men and women showed remarkable faith in God despite facing unimaginable persecution and various challenges.
  2. Runners persevere with endurance by “laying aside every hindrance” (12:1b). Laying aside means deliberately removing or pushing away sin or anything that impedes a relationship with God and the ability to run the spiritual race. 
  3. Runners persevere by staying laser-focused on Jesus (12:2–3). Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith—the creator and sustainer—endured hostility, pain, and suffering and obediently took up the sins of the world on the cross. He focused on the joy set before him—his exaltation in heaven. Whenever we grow weary, we can overcome the temptation to give up when we keep our attention on Jesus.

 In 2012, I ran a half marathon, covering 13.1 miles. During the race, I felt like giving up multiple times. At mile ten, I hit what’s called “the wall” in a marathon. Every muscle in my body ached, and each stride challenged my desire to finish the race. I wanted to stop, but then I thought about all the runners who had completed the course before me, proving it was possible to finish. I noticed another woman running beside me, also struggling and wanting to stop. We began encouraging each other. We ran across the finish line together.

No matter how long you’ve been on this Christian journey, keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ! Run with perseverance and inspire others to do the same. Remember that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection secured our victory! Run, saints! Run!

Talulah Ruger, RN, MSN (MACE, 2006), is a retired oncology nurse, Bible teacher, speaker, and writer. Talulah, the president and founder of Talulah Ruger Ministries, utilizes her extensive experience in vocational church ministry, combined with her teaching and speaking, to inspire and motivate others who are 50 and older to leverage their faith and life stories to mentor others for Christ. She teaches and trains women to use their gifts in ministry and develop meaningful relationships through spiritual mentoring. She also serves as an instructor at the Opened Bible Academy in Houston.