Every Christian is involved in a race, a spiritual contest. What else was Paul referring to at the end of his life when he said, “I have finished the course” (2 Tim. 4:6)? He was speaking of the race that he had run, the race that he had won. And all of us must finish this same course.

We are indeed runners in a race, one that has a starting point and a finish line. It is not a sprint or a dash, but a marathon that must be “run with endurance” (Heb. 12:1). While most athletic competitions can have only one champion, everyone who completes this race wins. The difficulty lies not in getting going but staying on your mark.

Follow the leaders. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). All of the great champions of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 make up this “cloud of witnesses.” You want a highlight reel of the Old Testament? Look no further. They have all run before us and finished their portion of the race. If your want to win, follow their lead.

Abel left a legacy to every generation of man and, through his faith, he is still speaking. Enoch never walked through the valley of the shadow of death, because he walked with God. Noah lived during a time where God was sorry he made man, but that didn’t stop him from making an ark. Abraham raised the knife to kill Isaac, believing that a God who had the power to give a son to an old man and a barren woman had the power to raise him from the dead.

These examples furnish us with a record of what God expects from His people, from those who follow Him. This is how he wants you to run the race set before you. Do you have that same kind of faith, that He who promised is faithful? You’re going to need it to finish this race.

Leave your baggage behind. “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). We expect to see Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham in the circle of champions. But there are a few surprises along the way. Rahab the harlot. What’s a prostitute doing in there? Or what about Samson, a man whose brute strength was vastly overshadowed by his weakness for women? And David, guilty of adultery and murder?

When Rahab was rescued from the city of Jericho, she apparently was rescued from the life of a harlot as well. She lived among the people of God and finds her name in another honorable mention, the lineage of Christ. Samson prayed for strength at the end of his life and God answered his plea. David, a man after God’s own heart, poured out his heart and begged that the joy of salvation be restored to him. Each of them was able to lay aside every encumbrance, no matter how miserable. Falling down did not keep them from winning the race.

Are you ready to lose some weight? We cannot run the race “that is set before us” if we’re constantly looking back at past failures and disappointments. Those things must be eliminated or they will weigh us down to defeat. If you’ve put it behind you, leave it back there where it belongs. There are enough turns and twists ahead that deserve your full attention.

Stay fixed on the finish. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). At the Grecian Olympic games, it was tradition for a past champion to stand at the finish line. When the runners came down the final stretch, weary and worn, they would see him and receive the last bit of resolve needed to finish.

Jesus is our inspiration, superior even to the heroes of Hebrews 11. He came down from the throne of God and never stopped running until He got back there. He knows the path we are treading. He remembers where the detours and obstacles are. He understands what it takes to win.

Keep looking ahead. Moses was “looking to the reward” (Heb. 11:26). Abraham was “looking for the city” (Heb. 11:10). We must not turn our eyes off of Jesus. If you can’t see Him standing at the door of your Father’s house, it’s time to turn around. If you’re lost sight of Him, turn away from the things along the road that won’t cross the finish line with you.

Athletes in our day compete for a title, a ring, or a trophy. The stakes are much higher in our race. “They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:25). For heaven’s sake, let us finish what we started and run to win the crown of life.