Running, but Going Nowhere Fast

“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.”

by Alexandra Copeland
There are times in all of our lives where it feels like we’re running, but going nowhere fast. We all know that God has someplace for us to be, and that this place is one where our purpose within His divine plan and our greatest heart’s desires meet. Sometimes we forget that there’s a link between the two. The Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 12:1 (NLT), “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.” Our individual, God-inspired purpose is the place where our dreams unfold. More than ever before, it is the place where you will begin to understand more about the race that is laid specifically before you.

In Hebrew 12:1, God tells us that we’re surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses. Well, what is this crowd a witness to? The scripture tells us that they are witnesses to the life of faith. A witness by definition is someone that sees, hears, or knows something by having experienced it personally; not only were they present, but this person was able to perceive what has transpired. So when we go back to the preceding chapter, in Hebrews 11, we see the names and records of individuals that believed God and trusted His Word to the point of acting upon it.

Abraham is one of those witnesses. He is known as the Father of Our Believing or the Father of Faith, because Romans 4:21 tells us that Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised He was willing and able to perform. The dream of Abraham’s heart was to have a family. Having a family was a really big deal in his time, particularly when it came to having a son that would carry forth the family’s bloodline. Sarah, Abraham’s wife had not been able to bear a child and they were both very old.

In Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT), God told Abraham, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” What an extraordinary oath, and the Word tells us that Abraham staggered not at the promises God had made to him, and at the age of 90, Sarah, his wife, conceived and bore a son, Isaac.

It isn’t a stretch to see that Abraham fulfilled his purpose and through it God fulfilled his dream as well. This is an invaluable lesson that we can use in our own lives. God inspires the dreams in our hearts, but so often we lose the connection between those dreams and our purpose, and this is why so often we find ourselves losing steam. Abraham’s dream of having a family was stamped on the purpose that God assigned to his life. This was in no way coincidental, because God inspires both.

Another reason that we find ourselves running, but going nowhere fast is because we haven’t made seeking our purpose a priority. God isn’t clandestine about such things. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7:8 (NLT), “For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” And when we ask, seek, and knock, spiritual maturity beckons us to understand that God will examine our hearts. We should have a genuine desire to please God and to increase spiritually. We also have to be honest with ourselves when our hearts are not where they should be.

I know of a Christian man that states quite frequently that he consistently hears from God to do one thing or the other. It seems to me that he’s perfectly fine as long as he’s hearing information that corresponds to the direction that he, himself, has chosen; but there’s very little tolerance in his personhood for reproof or correction from God’s Word. He’s chosen a path, and will hear nothing contrary to where he believes he needs to go. God truly honors diligence, and none of us are in a position to contradict someone that says God is speaking to their hearts, but there are some sure indicators from God’s Word that will allow us to know when we’re veering off the path of purpose. The first of which is quite obvious, and it is stagnation.

When it feels as though you’ve been in one place too long, it’s time to ask some serious questions. God’s Kingdom is filled with dynamic activity continually. There’s nothing stagnant about heaven and He didn’t design life on earth to be this way either. Ephesians 2:6 (NLT) says, “For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” Now we know that our physical bodies are on earth, but spiritually our minds and hearts should be anchored in the heavenly realms. We should be governing ourselves on earth as if we were living in heaven. So when things don’t appear to be moving with a heavenly flow, it isn’t because God is blocking us. It is because a closer walk with Him in the spirit is required of us.

Whenever we feel as though we’re spinning our wheels without momentum and mobility, it’s most definitely a spiritual issue. Another indicator that a person is veering off the path is one of being plagued with constant and steady distractions. Many of us claim that the adversary is keeping us from God’s goodies, when sometimes we’re the ones giving the devil the ammunition to do so. Many Christians will convince themselves that they are so appointed and anointed that the devil is mobilizing all of his henchman to circumvent their particular progression or promotion. This may be true, but the danger with focusing on this reasoning is that often the person remains blinded to the sin or neglect that is keeping them moving at a snail’s pace.

We can never forget that the greater cloud of witnesses were individuals that were in many instances ready to die to themselves for the sake of gaining more of God. They were willing to lose everything because of their unyielding faith that He would continually restore and keep them. The relationship they shared with God meant everything to them, and they forged an intimacy that remains for us a benchmark in our own Christian walks.

Romans 8:28 (NLT) assures us, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” The unveiling of our dreams are waiting on the next step we’ll make towards fulfilling our purpose within His plan. God is not slack concerning His promises. He will fulfill them, but you and I are required to breach the walls of our comfort zones to go higher in Him in Christ. This is the only way to gain traction, and move to the next level of spiritual growth and blessings. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.