Family Matters, Week 2

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." — Hebrews 12:1-2a

For Christians, there is comfort in this verse. It's the idea that the race we're running in our faith is not being done alone. There are those that have gone before, those that will come after, and a great host of pillars of the faith who are there, watching and cheering us on along the way. Like I said, comforting.

But there is another way to think about this verse, especially as you get older and form a family of your own. It's not longer just about who is watching you, guiding you, and cheering you on in your race, it's about the example you're offering as part of the cloud of witnesses for others.

Considering that context, I can't help but think of my grandparents. My grandma was kind of a Christmas and Easter Christian, while my grandpa told us religion was a crutch for the weak-minded. But they were witnesses to me and my family running our race. I can't help but wonder what kind of example I provided to them?

The same goes for co-workers, classmates, and those we meet along our journey. When we identify ourselves as running the race for Christ — especially among those that don't share that outlook — we set ourselves up to be the image of Christ for those people. When you think about that, it changes your perspective on how you run your race.

And how much more awesome a responsibility does that become when the audience watching you run that race is your own children. I was blessed to have parents that ran the race the right way as I was looking on, and I can only hope that I have the strength and courage to do the same.