Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)Besides possibly being the longest sentence in the Bible, these two verses spell out: you are not alone. There’s a great cloud of witnesses. There’s Abel. There’s Enoch and Noah. Abraham lets out a raucous cheer for you. Jacob high-fives son Joseph. Watching is too much for Moses. He one-arms himself over the barricade separating athletes from the masses. You’re gasping for oxygen. “I…don’t…know…if…I…can…finish,” your body pleads to your brain. Moses must have read your mind. He matches you step for step on the outside of the track. “We’ve run this race before! [Huff] Look at Rahab up there-she made it! We know you can make it! We believe in you! Don’t quit! [Puff] Don’t stop! You can do it”
Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.
But presently he starts knocking the house that in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of-throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.
You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.
Disciples are not those who go to every Bible study, never lose their temper and always have a positive mental attitude. Disciples aren’t those who remain unstained from the world because they never venture into it. No, disciples are those who hear Jesus’ message and obey it. We live right smack in the world. We rub shoulders with sinners. We keep both ears and eyes wide open for ways to use our hands, feet and hearts to show them we truly love them. We even create those opportunities from time to time.
So what does it mean to be a disciple? It means trusting God with His plans for your life. Not settling or being content with being a “decent little cottage” if that’s not what God wants. It means being encouraged by the great cloud of witnesses we have running this race with us. Knowing we’re never alone. It means screwing up time and time again but getting up and trying once more. It means accepting the hardships and pain that come along with following Christ, but knowing in doing so, others will be there to walk each step of the way alongside you. Being a disciple is about being true to who God created you to be-His child. May you always remember your call in life, as a child of God, a disciple of Christ, keeping in mind His will and the ones who’ve run the race before you!
