Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”
From the moment we wake up to the moment we lay our head on the pillow, we are living out our lives in front of a cloud of witnesses. In essence, our lives are being played out as if we were on stage in front of a live audience. As you look out amongst the crowd, you see familiar and unfamiliar faces. You see smiles and you see frowns. You hear cheering along with some “boos.” Some have come to see an amazing performance, and some have come to watch a disaster. I call these the audience to the life of faith.
In the audience, you have four groups of people. You have the unsaved in your life; the people you come into contact with on a daily basis. These are the co-workers you spend 8 hours a day with or the classmates with whom you interact. These are the members of your family who do not know Christ or the people in the grocery store or the people who pass you by on the road. These people have bought a ticket to the performance of “my life.” You see, they may have come with an expectation to see you fail. They may not be cheering you on as you live your life, but make no mistake, they are watching. They are expecting you to live life differently. In their everyday lives, they know what it is like to face hurdles. They know what pain is, and they know the joys of fleeting pleasure. But what they need to see is someone who can face pain and tragedy and come out stronger because of it. They need to see someone whose joy is not based on circumstances or material gain, but is based on a relationship with the Savior who holds their lives in the palm of His hand. Yes, they may have come to see you fail or expect to watch you be pulled down, but may they come away seeing a difference in the way you live and wanting the life that Christ has to offer.
The second group amongst the audience are your sisters and brothers in Christ. This group is comprised of people who have come to cheer you on in your faith; people who have lived out similar scenes in their lives and can give you the assurance that if the Lord came through for them, He will come through for you as well. They provide a smile when one is needed and a word of encouragement when the way is tough. They can provide counsel when the way is unclear, and just a shoulder to cry on when you are feeling worn out.
Within the second group, there are also believers who have come to be inspired. They want to see someone who took the leap that faith required and made it safely to the other side. They are looking to you to provide them with an example of godly living, unselfish friendship, self-sacrificing love, and pure motives. They need someone who can become their hero of faith. May they not walk away disappointed.
Down in the lower levels of the stadium sits the third group. They came to the performance already in an uproar. According to them, you were supposed to be playing by their rules and reading from their script. They remember the time when you were bringing profit to their playhouse and were living life to bring them accolades. Now, Satan and his demons are furious that you are working for someone else. They jeer, they mock, they lie, and sometimes even throw in a word of fake flattery, all so that they can see you fall flat on your face. Satan lost the war for your soul when you gave your heart to Jesus and decided to live for Him. Now he and his army will make every attempt to get you either to go backward or stand still in your walk with Christ. Live your life in such a way as to make these guys as angry as possible. When they whisper in your ear, “You can’t make it one more step,” charge on with the Lord full force. When they say the Lord can’t use someone like you, prove them wrong with every fiber of your being. Their sole purpose in coming is to see you fail. However, may they walk away feeling like failures themselves, knowing that every attempt to make you weaker just made you that much stronger in Christ.
Your eyes are drawn upwards to the fourth group. There, in the balcony, sit myriads of angels. Along with them are saints who have gone before you. All of them have come for your support. You see, they know the writer of the play, and He has personally told them of your potential. They know that if you stick to the script, the end result will be marvelous.
Suddenly, your heart skips a beat as you focus your attention on one member of the audience. Tears start streaming down your face as you realize who is looking on. The One who sacrificed everything to give you the role of a lifetime, being a child of God, is sitting center stage. He has the sweetest look of encouragement in His eyes, and now, more than ever, you want to nail the final act. You want Him to smile as He wells up with pride seeing the one, who once was a poor blind sinner when they were cast, being used as a powerful vessel for His glory.
My friend, each night you will see the curtains close, and each morning they will opened and a new scene will begin. May we, in the way we are playing out our days, point the unsaved to Christ, encourage and be encouraged by the saints, frustrate the devil and his demons and make the angels cheer with joy. Most importantly, though, may we have made our Father proud. When the final curtain call is made, may we hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
liv4hvn 