Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
After a disastrous defeat, the coach of a high school football team gives them a speech that the team members will never forget. To end his speech, he tells them the story of a famous athlete who never lost a race in his life after a man in the crowd told him, “You made me proud today. I saw the face of the one who will always be a winner all his life.” After the speech, he asks the team to always think of that man in the crowd who feels proud to have witnessed their endurance. The next year, the team won the trophy and when asked what motivated them, they all answered, “the man in the crowd.”
Hebrews 11 and 12, is a source of motivation for us who struggle with our faith every day. Verse 11 tells us about the heroes who kept the faith and remained faithful to God despite the trials they went through. Verse 12 encourages us to do the same because we have these witnesses who serve as motivation and who surround us.
When you go through obstacles in life, remember that you are not the only one going through trials and that you are not alone in your journey of faith. Take example from the men of the Old Testament who, at one point in their lives, also felt lost and abandoned but who persevered to the end. One day, like this man in the crowd, God will tell them that they have made Him proud. Work as hard as they did to be part of this team that God will welcome with open arms.
May the grace and peace of God be with you all.
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