Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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, NIV)
Golf is a game that showcases great talent, great effort, and great perseverance. We need look no further than the great champions who played the game before us. They serve as examples of the best that golf can be. Hogan, Jones, Nelson, Zaharias, to name a few. They and many others laid the groundwork that supports the game we know today. We aspire to be golfers because people who have gone before us have shown us how it can be done.
We are called to aspire similarly in our walk with Jesus. Each of us can remember someone who influenced our decision to follow Jesus. They came before us and were faithful to the call on their life. Their faith laid the groundwork for ours. Now we walk by faith and “throw off” those things that hinder us from being an example to those who follow us.
One of the most compelling defenses of the gospel is its ability to repeat its message to every generation of new people. That can only happen if each new generation learns from those who went before and passes that knowledge and faith to the generation that follows behind. There are many disagreements among religious people, but the truth of faith in the risen Jesus has not changed since the disciples of Jesus first preached it to the early church. God’s truth and plan will prevail in spite of every attempt to destroy it by new knowledge, technology, or the popular philosophy of the time.
We are part of the preservation of God’s truth. We learned of God’s love and grace and his purposes from those people of faith that preceded us. We in turn are told to run the race marked out for us and to be faithful to present the truth to those who follow behind us. This is the ultimate purpose of our life. If we stand faithful in profound gratitude for the gift we have received from God—our salvation and eternal life—we can’t help but provide an enduring influence to those around us. We will make our small part of the world a better place to live even as the rest of the world may be going up in smoke.
Our legacy to the world is to leave a light bright enough for those who follow behind us to travel the path that God calls them to follow. For what do you want to be remembered? Will you make your life count for something of eternal importance? Our faith and our relationship with Jesus are eternal. Let’s invest our time pursuing those things that bring light to the world and hope to those struggling in the darkness. Let’s faithfully run the race marked out for us, and the impressions we leave on the path will bring light and hope for those who follow us.
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Linda Ballard
September 8, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.