Hebrews 12:1b-2 - and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…
Why are we so obsessed with this Versus that? During the pandemic – Versus battles were all the rave! Patty Vs. Gladys; Teddy Riley Vs. Babyface; Monica Vs. Brandy. It was always a great debate leading up to them and long after some of them. Then there is the debate on who is the GOAT – Michael Jordan Vs Lebron (and before you go there it is Lebron…but I digress). When I would go to the barber shop to get my sons haircut as a boy, or even my own trips for myself as an adult, I would bring my headphones so I didn’t catch a case with my opinions because it could get heated with one fan vs. another.
Even in the bible you have the not so subtle battles like Cain vs. Abel – lead to the death of one of them; Jacob vs. Esau – lead to the birthright theft of one of them; Rachel vs. Leah – lead to the continual rejection of one of them; and even Mary vs. Martha. Even though theirs was not an out and out battle like the others, we tend to put them at odds comparing one to the other – as Jacob compared Leah to Rachel and as Cain compared his sacrifice recognition to Abel’s.
The problem with this thinking and this logic is the person we are at MOST ODDS with MOST of the time – is ourselves. The Versus battle we need to check in the mirror is our own internal battle. Me vs. Me. The word says let us run WITH ENDURANCE the race set out for US. That means – during this race, we will get tired, so we must have the endurance to stay on OUR track and keep the pace of OUR race so that we don’t stumble. It’s not me vs. someone else in their race because they are on a completely different track, with different mile markers. Not better mile markers – just different. It’s not me vs. someone else in their story that Jesus is writing – so I should not FIX MY EYES on them – I should fix my eyes on Jesus because as the author and finisher, I will know more readily when I am veering off the track of MY set race. Let’s stop comparing and criticizing. Stop leaving your life up to debate with others comparing your this to their that. It is Me Vs. Me day after day. Me 2019 vs. Me 2021. Me in the Spirit Vs. Me Flesh. Me Yesterday Vs. Me Today….and in this Versus battle all of your “hits” that you have in your arsenal (those lessons learned) will help you make it day after day after day. Be encouraged! Remember you got this – tape up your knees if you need to and keep running with endurance!