the goal
Recently, my 10 year-old scored a goal in his soccer game. It wasn’t just any old goal though. You see, John plays center back. For those of you unfamiliar with the positions of the sport, this is the central defender—the last player standing in front of the goalie to keep the attacking team from scoring against you. He is critical to defense, and he is excellent at what he does. When the ball happens to get past John, you pray! (As a sidenote, he is also the most proficient commentator at the game and keeps his teammates and sidelines thoroughly entertained. When his athletic career draws to a close, maybe he has a future in broadcasting!) All that to say, it is not often that John is in position to score.
Back to the game—we had about two minutes remaining. Although we appeared to be the better team and maintained far more possession of the ball, the score did not reflect the skill of the boys. We were down 0-1. We made 4 solid attempts at the goal in one play when the ball was kicked out to the right defender. John called for the ball just beyond midfield, David made an excellent pass, and John took a rip. After a game of 20+ missed shots on goal, I was baffled. Seriously dude, what are you doing?! And then I proceeded to watch that ball float in slow motion just over the goalie’s hands right under the cross bar into the back corner of the goal.
In that moment I lost all self-control and found myself levitating as I cheered and shouted his name! I was not alone, though I’d bet anything that I was the most animated. Had my 13 and 15 year-old children been there, I’m certain I would have been shushed. Still, everyone on the field and sidelines was going nuts, so I felt mildly justified in my momentary lapse of appropriateness! We ended that game with a 1-1 tie, and John’s teammates even lifted him in the air. Never before had a tie felt like such a definitive win.
During our post-game debriefing session in the car, I asked John what was going through his mind. Normally he would have worked the ball across the field to try to get it to a midfielder or wing. His matter-of-fact response: “Well mom, we needed a goal. No one was scoring so I decided to score.” Okay then. In that moment, he was fully confident of his ability to kick that ball from the opposite end of the field right into the goal, sneaking it by a goalie who had thus far unequivocally proven to be the savior of his team. John chose to forget the former prowess of the goalie and to focus on the task at hand.
It reminded me of Phil. 3:13-14, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” If only I could always have that razor sharp focus and determination in my walk with God that my son possessed in the moments leading up to his shocking goal! I need to be reminded of Paul’s words over and over again. If you look at the verse just before, Paul admits his own imperfection, but explains that he continues to strive toward righteousness “because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” This is the call to each one of us. We must release our past and cling to our future, letting our faith in Jesus shape every, single thing we do.
The writer of Hebrews expresses the same sentiment. Heb. 12:1-4 is one of my favorite scripture passages. I imperfectly but persistently try to let these words set the goal for my life.
“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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”
I love this passage for a myriad of reasons, but one that tops the list is the imagery the author uses. I envision the crowds lining the streets of the Boston Marathon as the runners persevere mile upon mile until they triumphantly cross that coveted finish line. Back in Paul’s day, the listeners would have pictured one of the races held in a coliseum. It was customary for participants to shed the cloaks or garments they were wearing before beginning the race. In similar fashion, Paul calls believers to “throw off everything that hinders.” As extra clothing slows a runner, distractions, worry and sin hold believers back.
The chapter just before this passage, Hebrews 11, has affectionately been coined the “Hebrew’s Hall of Faith.” Essentially, the author of Hebrews pauses for a moment to remind the recipients of ancestors who lived faithfully until the end. To the original audience this would have almost been like a family photo book because they knew the stories inside-out and backward. Hearing these words would have invoked deep-seated memories and inspiration. The key take-away from this chapter is that those listed in the “Hall of Faith” were far from perfect and struggled with sin, yet they were commended. Each one of them ran the race that the Lord set before them. Did they stumble at times? Yes. Did that stop them from persevering? No.
We should be encouraged that these saints of old are still remembered for their persevering faith, despite their flaws and failures. We can be remembered for our faith as well. No sin is too great to separate us from God because Jesus paved the way for us to draw near to Him. We are simply called to endure.
Simple? No.
Racing is an integral part of my dear friend Al’s life. This gal has completed Ironman competitions and regularly runs marathons and mini’s. Al is a rockstar, clearly knows a thing or two about physical endurance, and absolutely loves the Lord with her whole heart. I asked her how she relates to this Hebrews passage since she has such genuine insight into the metaphor. She told me something of which this 0.0 miler was entirely ignorant. She explained, “Raceday has many highs and lows—thankful, happy, on top of the world to lonely, I don’t have a friend in the world, things hurt back to happy again.” In both competitive races and the race of life, Al experiences happy times when she is overflowing with gratitude, but then she also encounters some incredibly tough miles along the way. It is during those rough patches and challenging times that she most needs the Lord and His Word. God has given Al a gift in racing, and she has drawn closer to Him because of it.
I am so inspired by Al! Running for hours on end might not be part of my story or yours, but we need to encourage one another to run the race set before us. Though our races may differ in appearances, they are given to us by the Lord, and we all have the same ultimate goal—to bring glory to God. Let’s stop looking to the left and right and scrolling through social media as we compare our lives to those around us. That only hinders us, makes us question our path and keeps us from doing all that God has in store. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. You are as uniquely suited to strive forward on God’s chosen path for your life as I am to answer the call He has placed on mine. Jesus Himself endured the cross “for the joy set before him" (Heb. 12:2). May we press ahead, looking upward and onward as we seek to glorify Him!
