Run di Race

Picture one stadium wey full reach di top. Di crowd stand up. Down for di track, one runner don tire, im legs dey burn, im chest dey pain am. And then she hear am. Di crowd dey cheer for her.

Dem write di letter to di Hebrews to believers wey don tire. Dem don suffer because dem dey follow Jesus, and some of dem dey think to slow down, or stop completely. Di writer just carry dem waka pass one long hall of heroes: Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, David and many more, wey all live by faith. Now, for chapter twelve, di picture change. Dat heroes no be only pictures for wall. Dem be like crowd for di stands. And di readers dey for di track.

So, since we too get dis kind great cloud of witnesses wey surround us, di writer talk, make we drop every load, and di sin wey dey hold us easily, and make we run with patience di race wey dem put in front of us. Think about runner. Nobody dey run race with heavy coat, dey carry bag of stones. You go throw away anything wey dey slow you down. And sin, di writer talk, be like something wey dey wrap round your feet. Throw am away. Then run. No be quick short race, but long race wey need patience, steady and determined, all di way reach di end.

And where runner suppose look? No be for im feet. No be for di other runners. Make we look Jesus, di one wey start our faith and di one wey go finish am. Jesus na di one wey start our faith, and di one wey go carry am reach di finish line. E run im own race all di way reach di end. Because of di joy wey dey in front of am, e endure di cross, e no count di shame for anything, and e don sit down for di right hand of di throne of God. So when you dey feel tired, di writer talk, think about am. Think about all di hatred wey e bear, so dat you no go tire and lose heart.

Then di writer give di readers another way to understand dem hard times. Una don forget, di writer ask, di words wey dey talk to una as children? My son, no look down on di correction of di Lord, and no faint when e rebuke you. Because di person wey di Lord love, na im e dey correct. Di writer mean discipline, di kind training wey parent wey get love dey give. Our parents train us for some years, as dem fit. But God dey train us for our good, so dat we go share for im holiness. No training dey sweet for di time wey e dey happen. E dey pain. But after, e dey bring harvest of peace and right living, for di people wey di training don shape. So, di writer talk, like coach wey dey shout from di side of di track: lift up your hands wey don tire. Strengthen your knees wey don weak. Make straight road for your feet, so dat di leg wey dey lame no go shift comot from im joint, but e go heal.

Footrace na di oldest and most famous event for di Greek games. Di basic race, di stadion, na one length of di track, and for Olympia dat one na about one hundred and ninety-two metres. Big big crowds dey gather to watch. Dem dey hold games for plenty cities for di Roman world, so di readers of Hebrews go know exactly how e dey look when runner dey strain reach di finish while di crowd dey watch.

Run di race. You go find dis words for Hebrews chapter twelve, verse one to thirteen. We no dey run alone, and we no dey run without goal. We dey run with our eyes for Jesus, wey don already finish im race. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin dey weigh you down, wey you fit ask God make e help you put am aside, so dat you go continue to run?