SATURDAY May 2, 2026
The Christian Athlete
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us....
Hebrews 12:1
As Paul began to close the great book of Hebrews, he wanted believers to experience the practical side of Christianity. He exhorted them to learn the lessons that would aid them in their walk with God. To recap, in verse 1, Paul gave a picture of believers running a race with witnesses in the stands who had already run their races. Their race in this world was finished, and they crossed the finish line to receive their great reward. Now they are the ones who cheer us onward.
Athletes live disciplined and separated lives. They do not stay up late with friends, but go to bed on time. They train hard, rising early in the morning to train. They have to watch their diets, and rarely do they eat junk food. Olympians put pressure on themselves to run the race as fast as they can, because their aim is to compete to win the gold medal. The goal is not to win the silver or bronze medal, but to win the gold. They do everything in their power to train for months and years, just to enter and win one race!
In practice, an athlete uses weights to train. On the day of his competition, he removes the weights so he can run freely without any hindrance. If he kept them on, they would stop him from winning the race. That is why in the ancient Greek culture, they ran their races naked––without clothing. They ran without anything holding them back from winning the victor’s crown.
This is the illustration Paul used to exhort believers to lay aside any weight of sin that might be slowing them down. Is sin hindering you from finishing your race? What is holding you back from winning the victor’s crown? Lay aside your sin. Run your race freely! Listen, if ancient Olympians ran with such commitment to win a temporal crown, how much more should we be committed to running a race for an eternal reward?
The victor’s crown of righteousness is now waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on the day that he comes....
~2 Timothy 4:8 ISV~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
