Soon-to-be father Ben Seewald loves the Bible verses Hebrews 12:1 to 4 because they paint a good picture of a Christian running a race for Jesus Christ.
The verses say: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
Ben said there are so many things people can learn from that passage, and he shared on the Seewald Family Blog some of the things he picked up from it.
The deeply religious husband of Jessa Duggar said people are encouraged to lay aside every weight and sin that would try to thwart them from running the race for Jesus, adding that this is not an easy task since there are many obstacles and distractions one must face in life.
"Sin is obviously a hindrance. But there are other things that may not even be sin per se, but would cause us to be less effective in serving Christ. Hobbies, entertainment, frivolous and empty conversation, wasted time... are all things that can creep into your life and stop you from running this race like you potentially could," Ben said.
However, he said this does not mean that people should not enjoy recreational activities as a whole, since people still need to take a breather to relax to be able to perform better in the race.
"Just make sure that it keeps its proper place: to restore, refuel, and refresh you in order to be more effective in the future. Note that we are called to run with 'patience' (or endurance)," he said.
Ben added that people should be driven by Christ to finish the race. Christians should try and get closer to God and be more like Him, and the only way to do this is to focus on Him.
"As a runner focuses on the goal set before him/her, and runs with endurance to get closer to it and to reach it, so must we! Christ is our treasure!" he said.
Ben reminded people that the fun and entertainment the world has to offer is nothing compared to the infinite joy and fulfilment of knowing God. The world's treasures are temporary, and they could even be distractions and "weights" if people aren't careful, he said.
"Let us focus on our prize, which is God Himself, and run with endurance the race that will bring us closer to Him!" he urged readers.
