Pondering Passages

Hebrews 12:1-3

This was another familiar passage of scripture.  I've probably read it 100 times....like any good church girl.  However....I've certainly never pondered it.  If you asked me a week ago what it meant I would say it meant lots of Christian saints have gone before us and set an example for us to follow and we need to follow them focusing on Jesus and it will be worth it....or something like that.  And while I don't think that would be a wrong interpretation of the passage I also don't think I would have gotten nearly the depth of the passage that I did by simply camping out in the passage and asking questions, seeking answers, and praying through it.

So the first thing to catch my attention was the
THEREFORE. 
Pastor has trained me to ask every time I see a therefore..."what is it there for?"  So the chapter before is the famous "Hall of Faith" passage.  It is talking about the power of faith and what the Lord could use ordinary people to do by simply having faith in him.  I think the people mentioned in chapter 11 AND the other saints that have gone before us along with Jesus and God.....make up "the great cloud of witnesses".  It's like our life is being witnessed.  What we do does matter.  I can almost hear them cheering us on.  Encouraging us to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...."

HIT THE BRAKES....
Did I just say EVERYTHING that hinders?  Would that include facebook? How about TV, or reading novels, or blogging?  YIKES!!!  I think it could.  It could include lots of good, fine things.  It DOES NOT say to just throw off SIN.  OBVIOUSLY we need to throw off sin, but what else hinders me from living this life of faith?
MAKES ME THINK......I'm not just supposed to NOT sin...I need to actively THROW off EVERYTHING that hinders me in the race.

"and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"
There is a race marked out for ME.  A path for my life.  And I don't just need to figure out what it is and start it....I need to persevere.  That is the hard part for me.  I've heard perseverance described as "a long obedience in the same direction".  If I am being honest....I must admit.....sometimes I get bored with my life.  I mean it goes: wake up, breakfast for 7, pack Randy's lunch, clean, school, Lunch for 6, clean, veg out, more school, more clean, maybe play with kids, cook dinner for 7, clean.....you get the picture.  However I need to persevere.  I lose heart.  I lose focus.  I forget my purpose.  My life is actually MUCH more then the list above although very often it seems like it is not:.  The truth is I am training disciples.  I hope that they will ROCK their little corners of the world one day and make a difference for eternity.....so while yes the chores and duties are definitely mundane and boring.....the BIG picture and the "race marked out for me" is REALLY not mundane.  It is not at all boring.  Eternity is at stake.  My job is to PERSEVERE.  Keep on keeping on.  I don't want to just start down the right path....I want to FINISH STRONG!

HOW
"fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him....ENDURED THE CROSS"
Everything seems so much more trivial and manageable when I fix my eyes on Jesus and what he endured.  I just have to endure until bedtime!  :)
SERIOUSLY THOUGH
He endured being falsely accused, the shame attached to death on a cross, the pain, being scorned, being abused, being spit on.
"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
How can I possibly lose heart?  He truly poured out his life.  He poured it so fully and so freely and how often do I pause and "consider him?"  What an encouragement it is in the dailiness of life to fix my eyes on Jesus. 
It really is all about Jesus!
ALL about HIM.

Keep Pondering!
Kim