~Run the Race Well~

It's SPRING! Yep, with all caps. That means the weather's getting lovely, the birds are singing, the garden beckons, and it's everything we can do to keep ourselves motivated to finish our daily tasks for school, let alone keeping a clean house, because, after all, who wants to stay in when we can go out?

1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12: 1-3

I need to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, reminding myself it's not just me, myself, and I out there. It's not even just me and the girls. It's all of us LIVING FOR CHRIST. That means that each thing we do we ought to be able to invite Jesus to be a part of what we're doing and know that he would feel welcome. If I know I should be teaching grammar, but instead I want to go to an auction, I can simply ask myself where Jesus would feel most valued, or welcomed, in my life. If I'm doing something that isn't exactly what I should be doing, even though it's not "bad," then I know I wouldn't be as comfortable inviting Christ to partake in this activity with me. That's a simple test for me. Then I know I put aside the things that entangle.

The other thing I see in this verse is that we run with endurance. This says to me that the race is not easy. There are simply days when I want to put the girls on the big yellow bus that comes to the corner of our street. It would be so simple (metaphorically speaking of course!) to just send them out the door and do my own thing. But, that would be running without endurance. Would you honor a runner who part way through the race hopped in a cab because they were tired and then got out just short of the finish line so they would appear to have run to the end of the race? I didin't think so. That's what I have to remind myself. No cab. No school bus. No short cut.

I may be tired. I may be interested in other things. The girls might whine. I might whine. (The dog whines all the time!) But, we have a race and for our family it's homeschooling. So, we're going to finish the race this year, Lord willing, with God's help, inviting Jesus to join us. It's then I know we're most likely to honor him. When Christ is with us I know we will not grow weary and lose heart, rather we'll be inspired to finish because he himself ran the race unto death, death on a cross, just for us. How can we do less?!


So, what's your race? I pray you will finish well also.

Shalom,
Kim

p.s. Don't forget my giveaway... it's linked on the sidebar to the right! You have till April 22.