Running to Win, Part 2, "The Crowd"
"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" - Hebrews 12:1

In this race, the crowd factor cannot be ignored. The encouragement of the crowd can propel the runner just at the moment he feels the weakest, and there are those who have run before us who stand now to cheer us on to faithfulness to God's course! But there also waits the heckler in the crowd, the enemy, who would cause us to become hindered by focusing on cries of discouragement at just the moment we are at our strongest.

The Cheering of the Crowd
Who are the "cloud of witnesses" mentioned? A brief reading the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 quickly gives us the answer! Perhaps Abel's testimony is shouting to you, "Give only your best and nothing less! Follow the Lord every day, don't compromise in any way!" Perhaps Enoch's testimony cries unto you, "Turn your back on the world and walk only with the Lord, you need no one else! Keep your eyes focused above, you might be taken today!" Or maybe it's Noah encouraging you to use your faith for the vision which the Lord has given you, though no one else will believe and follow. Or perhaps Abraham's life is challenging you to sacrifice your all and leave everything behind and walk by total faith. Could it be that Moses's life is challenging you to leave behind your life of luxury and ease and endure hardships for the sake of the Gospel? All of these ran their course and conquered! They stand prepared to coach you on to victory at times when you think you've suffered defeat. Listen to their lives very closely! They're challenging you to GO and GO and keep on going! God's given you a course and you need to stick to your course like bubble-gum! You're being challenged to never look back, to ignore those things which are behind, to keep your eyes focused on the goal and "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Others have already done it, they have proven to you that all things can be done through Christ, they've come out of the fire and they're challenging you to do the same! They're also telling you that others are watching. There are also lost people headed for hell who may be watching to see if your faith is genuine; their lives will be impacted if you will become God's witness unto them. Your Lord is watching also, does He see a champion in you?

The Distractions of the Crowd
The crowd has also been known to yell, curse, and do anything to hinder the participant's focus. There will always be someone in opposition to your life for Christ, someone influenced by satan, perhaps someone close in your life, consider Matthew 10:35-37. When we began living for Jesus Christ we became the devil's number one target. He doesn't have to waste his time on the lost, they're already his. His efforts are now focused on you and he will do anything to trip you up in the race. Perhaps he's trying to convince you that you're wasting your time in service to Jesus Christ and telling you that you're missing out on life's best. Those are the times that you have to remind yourself of what the Lord's plans are for your adversary, Romans 16:20, "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Get yourself so focused on the Savior that any hurdle springing up in your path will only appear as a small pebble to run down and crushed, Christ can crush all obstacles!