Based on Hebrews 12:1-3

I’ve read the books, listened to your stories, and even stood on some of the training grounds where your blood and sweat have fallen. But I’ve never gone through it myself. I don’t know if I could have endured it 20-plus years ago. You don’t really know what you’re capable of until you’re in it.

Whether it’s Ranger School, BUD/S, Green Beret selection, or another special operations pipeline, the graduates talk about reaching down into a deep, dark place—a “come to Jesus” moment—when you either dig deep or you’re done. But this isn’t just for the elite. Basic training itself—those dozen or so grueling weeks—can push a recruit not just physically but mentally and spiritually.

And the reality is, the training never really stops. Even after graduation, the grind continues—running, push-ups, planks, sit-ups, fitness tests, weapons qualifications. Meeting the PRT or PFA isn’t a one-time victory. It’s constant preparation.

That’s the same kind of language the writer to the Hebrews uses for the Christian life. It’s not a quick sprint or an easy PT test—it’s a marathon.

“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” (Hebrews 12:1).

The finish line is heaven. But there’s an obstacle—“the sin that so easily entangles.” You know yours; I know mine. The sins that trip us up, bloody our spiritual noses, and leave us with scraped knees and hands. Jealousy, pride, selfishness—when we focus on those, we drift off course. We lose sight of the goal.

But there’s hope. We don’t run alone.

The author to the Hebrews writes this: “Let us run with perseverance . . . fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of 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 sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Jesus ran the perfect race. Fully God, yet fully man, he faced temptations—power, wealth, pride, and the easy way out. He carried a heavier load than any rucksack—our guilt, our sin, our failures—and he bore them all the way to the cross. His race didn’t end in defeat but in a resurrection from the dead.

And here’s the good news: He didn’t run just to inspire you—he ran to win for you. Every requirement for salvation, he met. Every sin, he paid for. Every mile, he finished perfectly.

So fix your eyes on Jesus. See him at the starting line of your faith, placing it in your heart. See him at the finish line, waiting to welcome you home. When you stumble, when you fall, when you feel the weight of the race, remember—he has already secured the victory.

Consider his race, his endurance, his love. Not so you’ll think, “If he can do it, so can I”—but so you will know, “He did this for me.”

Run your race. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Cross the finish line strong—in Christ alone.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. You ran the race before us, carrying the weight of our sin to the cross and winning the victory through your resurrection. Keep our eyes fixed on you when the road is long and the burdens are heavy. Strengthen us when we grow weary, and guard us from the sin that so easily entangles.

As our country remembers National Airborne Day on August 16th, we thank you for the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of all who have served in airborne units. Protect them and their families, and keep them steadfast in faith until life’s race is done. Amen.