RUN...John Luke...RUN!

Today I am a pretty excited father. My son later today is about to run in his first track meet. It should be an interesting day since many of his track team were away last week on a school sanctioned Washington DC trip as well as missed practices the two weeks prior because of school closings due to weather. They as a team haven't had many practices and John Luke has questioned even if he wants to still do it. So today, I'm expecting them to look like the Bad News Bears of Track so it should be fun...if you know what I mean.
Let me start by saying this...I am not a runner. I use to run when I was in school but those glory days are long gone. I am a 45 year old man. There's about 15 extra pounds I still need to get rid of and both of my knees have had major surgery. One knee has screws and other things missing and the other has no cartilage at all. With all that said, the only time you will see this guy run is if he is being chased because I ran out of bullets!
So today I'm going to watch him run...run like the wind. If he wins...then great. If he drops the baton...no problem. If he falls...that's ok too. It really doesn't matter what happens in today's race win or lose because I as his father am just glad that he is running!
I believe that is exactly the same way that our Heavenly Father thinks about you and I when we are doing what He has taught us to do through His Word. The apostle Paul stated in Hebrews 12:1...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up and run with endurance the race that God has set before us. Paul is speaking to Christians and says that we need to get rid of everything that slows us down and keeps us from running the race well. Those weights could be doubt, discouragement, disappointments and just flat out sin. The problem is if we keep our eyes on those things, we will never keep running! That is why Paul says in Verse 2...We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus. So whatever it is that is keeping you from running, take your eyes off of it and keep your eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Later today, I'm going to watch my son race. I am proud because he is still in the race even if there have been times he did not want to be but I am even more proud that he has already entered the winners circle because of what Jesus did for him on the cross!
Run...Run Like the Wind...Pastor John