Student Devotionals
Hebrews 12:1-2
Eyes on Christ
Hello, Meant For More family! My name is William Green, a former NFL first-round draft pick, and I am delighted to do today’s devotional with you. It is from the book of Hebrews… Hebrews 12:1-2.
Every time I read this Scripture, it reminds me of a saying that I like to use when I speak at schools around the country: In life, the difference between winners and losers is very simple. Losers look at what they are going through… winners look at where they are going to!
True winners can look at where they are going because they are looking to Jesus Christ and the things above. They know who they belong to, and no matter what the world throws at them, the Spirit inside of them helps them to push forward. The enemy likes to throw us off track by tempting us to focus on the past or worrying about the future. He wants to steal our present focus on our relationship with God and our obedience to Jesus Christ. He knows this will interrupt and ruin our race. We need to keep our eyes on Christ!
Let’s dig into the Scriptures. Hebrews 12:1-2 says,
Be Encouraged by Those Who Have Come Before Us
So think of your favorite Bible character… for example, maybe someone like King David. If he were standing here right now, he’d be telling you, “Hey man, I know it’s a little hard, but I made it, and you can go forward and endure too!” That’s the great cloud of witnesses.
Throw Off All Distractions
Then our passage says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders us… and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” If you haven’t noticed, long-distance runners and triathlon athletes wear as few clothes as possible so that they won’t get weighed down, slowed down, or entangled.
God doesn’t want us to get thrown off by anything either. He might want you to let go of people, places, or things that are getting in the way of your walk with Him. Actually, in ancient days, runners didn’t wear anything… they knew that the best chance they had of winning the race was to strip off everything they didn’t need. I can imagine that this would have been fairly embarrassing, and maybe people would have made fun of them for it, but it didn’t matter.
It’s the same way with us today. As you’re going forward, the Holy Spirit will say, “Hey, you need to let go of something,” and other people will make it difficult because they will make fun of you. You need to hang in there to win the race. Endure all the way until the end!
Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
Then, our passage says, “fix [your] eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.” Similarly, Luke 18:1 reminds us to pray without fainting.
Now, the reason why athletes faint is because of a lack of oxygen going to their brains. The body decides it would rather shut down than die. This is similar to the way that Christians will faint if they don’t have enough prayer. The atmosphere of your life needs to be one of always talking with God. You need to stay focused on Him… keep your eyes on Christ. That will keep you on course! Even the Apostle Paul, when he was struggling with some kind of thorn in his side (2 Corinthians 12:1-10) had to keep his eyes fixed on Christ in order to persevere.
So don’t let the enemy get you off track. Stay present. Stay focused on the things above!
Persevere in the Pain as You Wait for Joy
Finally, our passage says, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus knew the pain and anguish that was in front of him as he endured the cross. He even asked God, “Father, please take this from me, but if it is your will, I’ll do it” (Luke 22:42, paraphrased). In the end, he followed through. He knew that past the pain, there was joy waiting. Now, Jesus is waiting for you to run your own race. We need to look toward the joy waiting for us too. Jesus is looking forward to saying to all of those who run the race well, “Welcome in, my good and faithful servants!”
Let me say it again: In life, the difference between winners and losers is very simple. Losers look at what they are going through… winners look at where they are going to!
So young people, and whoever else might be reading this, keep running your race. Keep your eyes on Christ. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. God bless you!
-William Green
Former Running Back, Cleveland Browns
www.teamgreen31.com