“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.Because of the joyawaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1–2 nlt)

　　Over the past two weeks, we’ve looked at several Old Testament characters. In Hebrews 12:1–2, the significance of their lives, their experiences, their struggles, their victories, and their testimonies is brought home to us. One chapter earlier, the author of Hebrews recapped many of their stories in what’s often called the “Faith Hall of Fame.”

　　The placement of the exhortation in Hebrews 12:1–2 seems to suggest that these “hall of famers,” these heroes of the faith—Abraham,Joseph, Moses,Rahab, Gideon,David,Daniel, and others—take a rooting interest in our spiritual race. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.Because of the joyawaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne” (nlt).

　　Thesepeople offaithwhowentbeforeusgaveusmodelstofollowsothatwemightliveandexercise ourfaithastheydid.Readingaboutthelivesofthesemenandwomenwhowalkedwith GodandtrustedChristandstoodstronginthefaceoftrialsandpersecutionscanaddsteelto our souls.

　　But they didn’t just give us templates tofollow. They are also observingusandtakingnoteofourprogressinthefaith.This “crowd of witnesses” is watching us and cheering us on, if you will.

　　That’s just one interpretation of the passage, of course.We don’t know for certain that there are heavenly grandstands where people monitor the progress of lovedoneslivingouttheirlivesonearth.But itwouldn’tsurprisemeif that were true.Ido, however,knowthismuch: Weareintheraceofourlivesonearth,andnone of us knowshowlongitwill last. So, we must make the most of it. We must live our lives to please not the bystanders but the Lord Himself. We must make decisions and interact with others in ways that honor and pique curiosity about Him. We must leave a legacy that inspires other believers—the ones we will cheer on when we join the crowd of witnesses.

　　Reflection question: How does knowing that you have a crowd of witnesses impact your Christian race?