consider Him

Last week in our weekly Bible studies, we stepped into Hebrews 12 and were reminded that the life of a follower of Christ is not a casual stroll, but a Spirit-empowered race. Scripture gives us both comfort and clarity: you are not alone in your journey, and you are running with purpose.

The writer of Hebrews lifts our eyes to the “great cloud of witnesses,” the men and women of Hebrews 11 whose lives testify that the Lord is faithful to every promise. Their stories are not meant to intimidate us but to encourage us. They remind us that ordinary, faith-filled saints—people with weaknesses, fears, and failures…finished their race because their Lord was faithful. And that same Father remains faithful to you.

So we are called to “lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely.” Some burdens are obvious sins. Others are simply distractions—good things that have become heavy things because they pull our hearts away from Christ. The gospel calls us not merely to run harder, but to run free.

But the central truth of this passage, and the heartbeat of the Christian life, is not about us at all; it is about our Lord Jesus. We run “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” Your endurance does not come from your strength, but from His. Jesus ran His race before you. He endured the cross, despised its shame, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. His victory is the guarantee that you will finish.

So when the race feels long, when suffering presses in, or when discouragement whispers that you cannot take another step, Hebrews calls you to “consider Him.” Consider the Savior who shed His blood for you. Consider the love that carried Him through every strike, every insult, every ounce of agony.

Brothers and sisters, lift your eyes again this week. Fix them on Jesus. He is your strength, your endurance, your joy, and He will carry you all the way home.

Blessings,

Pastor Kris