Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity
Hebrews 12: 1-2a
It’s so easy to get distracted. As a women I’ve experienced the struggle of comparison, discontent, imposter syndrome, ALL the things! I’m not ashamed to admit it because I know it was a part of God’s plan to help me grow up in Him. And let me be clear, I’m a work in progress. If we were honest, we’ve all been there but this is what I know to be true, we can’t run our race unless our eyes are fixed on Jesus.
The weight of trying to be something other than what we have been called to be is heavy. It’s also unnecessary and it’s commonly self imposed. Why do we do this to ourselves? I can’t speak for anyone but myself but I believe that it is important for us as Women to constantly self-reflect on our “stuff.” We have to take our stuff to the Lord and we have to ask Him to help us drop it at his feet knowing that He is capable and willing to help us process it and move through it so that we can become who He called us to be.
There is no way that we can run our race if we are weighed down. I’m not an athlete but I have observed the following: when an individual competes in any type of race, they’ve stripped themselves down to bare necessities in terms of what they have on their person. I’ve also observed that runners aren’t looking at the runners to their left or to their right. Their focus is on what is in front of them, the finish line. They don’t stop to make adjustments based on what they see other runners are doing. Their stride, their pace, it is uniquely their own and they’ve learned how to navigate the race accordingly. Finally and most importantly, any individual that competes in a race has trained extensively. They’ve trained themselves to acquire discipline in certain areas primarily the area of focus.
And so it is with us in our walk with Christ. As we keep our eyes on Him, we realize that He is faithful and that what is ahead of us is far greater than what is behind us or even around us. We recognize that He is the goal, the prize, and that when we focus on Him we grow and mature in our lane. We can embrace our race and we run it for our eternal good and for His Glory!