What about us then? We have such a great cloud of witnesses all around us! What we must do is this: we must put aside each heavy weight, and the sin which gets in the way so easily. We must run the race that lies in front of us, and we must run it patiently. We must look ahead, to Jesus. He is the one who carved out the path for faith, and he's the one who brought it to completion.
He knew that there was joy spread out and waiting for him. That's why he endured the cross, making light of it's shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of God's throne. He put up with enormous opposition from sinners. Weigh up in your minds just how severe it was; then you won't find yourselves getting weary and worn out.
Those are some great points Pastor, but what about us? I'm comfortable in my current job. My kid's go to good schools. My wife is accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle, nothing too extravagant, but she is looking forward to a nice easygoing life. I know God is moving and I've tasted the torment in my soul of what He must have endured with these weights those he loved were bearing and the sin laid out in his way to trip him up. I know all this and yet I want to get in the fight right away. I want to bring the love of Jesus everywhere I go and that's ALL I want to do. It's simply complicated though. Pastor, my family thinks I've lost my mind, but I'm just worn out from battling the enemy, the man's got me down. My friends are praying for me, but they don't know what to think. I feel like a caged lion who just needs to seek after the Kingdom with my all. Everything about me wants to domesticate me and stick me in a pew, but there is something else that just won't go down that road. It's wearing me down. Nothing else matters but the King and the Kingdom.
Patience.
There is a long race ahead and many have run it and are running it with you. This is not a race to be first, but to finish and to help others along the way to finish as well. You are right all the temporal stuff will come and go, but you do not want to be like the seed that came up too quickly and had no depth of root. There will be hurdles of sin to overcome, things put in your way to obstruct the path or constrain you, as a matter of fact the first thing to do is lay down any baggage you've been carrying about and all the Lord to heal those wounds and show you His power so that you will be able to run without hindrances. Keep looking forward to the New Heavens and New Earth, the joy and righteousness...you are surrounded by those who have gone on before you and they are cheering you on and in the center of that cloud is Jesus himself indwelling you and empowering you to not only run the race, but to heed these words of wisdom. He is the one who blazed the trail we now run so stick close to the path and keep your eye's forward. They will all be there waiting for you at the end. Let's not forget all that our King patiently suffered and endured, really think about it - daily, that you could even run this race. At the end of the day if everything came crashing down, just keep running in His wisdom and His power. They are all with you. He is with you. Keep the faith, keep the pace.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
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