Which Lane is My Lane?

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

In training for any serious athletic event, you become very aware of how your mindset affects your body’s performance. Inevitably, you come to a point in your workout where your body begins screaming at you, “Quit! I’ve had enough! I simply cannot take any more of this!” In my early years of running long distances, I would respond to my body’s cries by focusing my attention on the finish line. Even though it seemed like a good idea, this never really worked for me. Usually this kind of thing happened when I was several miles away from the finish line, and the thought of enduring the pain for another twenty to thirty minutes sucked the life out of me.

Since then, I’ve discovered a better way. Instead of focusing on the end of the race, which usually was a long way off, I focus my attention on my pace, my running form, or my breathing patterns—something I can fix my mind on in the moment. That way, I can stay focused on the steps right in front of me, where I am currently running, and not allow the “big picture” to become a hindrance for me.

Don’t get me wrong; I am all about long-range vision. It’s what fuels my fire and wakes me up in the morning. But sometimes we can focus so much on the long-term that we lose sight of what’s right in front of us.

We’ve talked about “running your race“, which is a biblical way of thinking about occupying that special place God created for you in life and achieving the goals set before us. Today, I want to show you that there is a healthy balance between long and short-range vision, and how to navigate the road ahead.

Where’s Your Attention?

I believe in vision! I am all about dreaming big and going after what seems impossible! But what happens when you are going after your goals and the emotion wears off? Suddenly you realize that chasing your dreams isn’t as much fun as you thought it would be. Reality sets in, and your heart begins to sink as you find yourself working harder than ever before with little to no fruit. Thoughts fill your mind and threaten to freeze you into paralysis. What happened? you ask yourself. Did I miss it? Am I taking this thing in the wrong direction? What am I doing?

First of all, know this: if these thoughts have flooded your mind as you step out in pursuit of running your race from God, you aren’t alone. We need long-range vision to keep us fueled for the long haul, but we need to make sure our focus is in the right place at the right time in order to make it to the finish line.

I like to think of it this way: if I only focus on what I dream to accomplish and forget about the assignment in front of me, I know I am missing what God has for me in the moment. Furthermore, I know that what I sow in this season is going to be my multiplied harvest when the next season rolls around. I want to put every effort I can into the here and now, while maintaining keen focus on the road ahead, so I can be found faithful in the place God has me in the present moment. This kind of perspective shift was monumental for me; not just in running, but in every area of my energy output. This new view of my “now” changed my life!

Your Lane is Here, And Your Time is Now

This is the big secret: you are already in your lane! In other words, if you think that your purpose and calling is a location or time period “down the road” somewhere, you will short-circuit the process of getting there.

You see, friend, at this very moment, God is working in your heart to develop the character and the humility that is necessary for the next stage of your journey. Your time to be found faithful and ready for the future is now. No matter where you are today, you are in the perfect spot to develop and grow into the man or woman you were created to be.

My friend, the time is now. You are not waiting for God to drop something in your lap. God has equipped you fully for this season, and if you stay the course, you will experience victory and come out on top!

Yes, there is a special place, people group, enterprise, and destiny God has for you. But let’s not forget that you don’t get there without first developing and cultivating the character necessary to stay there.

A good friend of mine always says, “Gifts and talent will get you promoted, but character will keep you there.” How many extraordinarily gifted people do you know that put on a great show, but turned out to be a flop when their inner character was made known? I can think of many people who enjoyed the limelight for a season, only to be thrust from their positions because of major heart and character issues that lay hidden beneath the mask of their talent.

Don’t let this happen to you! If you are in a frustrating job, you are in a prime position to upgrade your character. If you are in poverty, you are in an excellent place to develop and cultivate your faith. If you are unhappy with your spouse or children, you are perfectly positioned for a revelation of grace and mercy.

You see, friend, everything you do from this moment on is preparation and development for the next season. You are in a test right now! God is looking for people that are faithful and true to His word, patient and enduring until the end. He is not looking for opportunities to punish you if you mess up, but He is looking for opportunities to promote you.

Run with Focus

Let’s look at Hebrews 12:1-2.

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

Verse 1 describes the mechanics of how we are to run our race efficiently. We are to lay aside every weight and the sin that seeks to entrap and trip us up. We are encouraged to run with the mindset of a trained, disciplined athlete—not as a fair-weather competitor—fully concentrated and focused on exhausting every ounce of energy in our bodies in order to win the race. This is a picture of a determined, serious, and committed runner in a fierce competition.

Notice how these two verses are linked together. Do you see it? How is it that we are supposed to maintain such discipline and stay committed through the firestorms that come in life? Are we supposed to grit our teeth and put our heads down, gutting it out in life, straining as hard as we can to accomplish our God-given dreams, pushing ahead alone? Thank God, that’s not the way He set it up.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” The word translated “looking” is the Greek word, aphoraō, which is used only here in the entire New Testament. Isn’t that interesting? This rare word is formed by combining the two words apo and horaō.

Apo is used to describe any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed. In Hebrews 12:2, this word carries the idea of forcefully separating two things until they are no longer considered connected.

The second part of aphoraō, the word translated “looking”, is horaō, and means to see, perceive, or to know by experience. When you combine these two words, the new word means to turn away from one thing with such force and focus all your attention on something else that it is as if the first thing no longer existed.

Therefore, the first part of Hebrews 12:2 could be paraphrased, “Even though you are occupied in running your race, don’t focus so much on running the race that you forget Jesus. If you must, rip your attention from the tasks and duties at hand and focus every fiber of your being on Jesus. He is the one who fills you with the strength and energy you need to fulfill your calling, and it’s through Him that you live and move and have your being.“

You see, even if we had no great “job to do” on earth; if we had no miracles to perform, no people to preach to, no demons to cast out, or no earth to bring heaven to, we can still fulfill the entire will of God for our lives by simply being in relationship with Him. We must never lose sight of our love-relationship with Jesus as we pursue the grand accomplishments God has for us to fulfill in life. We get to enjoy His beauty and be perfectly content and fulfilled in His love while we reign and conquer as kings in this life.

Discovering which lane is your lane isn’t so much about whittling down a list of goals, or even allowing the dreams of God to fill your heart with faith—those are elements of the process, but the process begins with a promise. The promise is knowing Jesus, and the process begins with the choices you and I make today.

Questions to Consider:

• Do you find your eyes drifting off of Jesus and onto the pathway to your success and ambitions? It’s good to be driven by your dreams, but do you feel like your intimacy with the Lord is suffering as a result of your drive? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you look deep inside your heart and show you anything you any necessary adjustments.

• There’s nothing wrong with being focused and determined to run your race with excellence and live life to the fullest. How can you run your race with discipline and focus your attention on Jesus at the same time? Take a few moments and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about this.

• On the other hand, are you so wrapped up in basking in the love of the Father that you haven’t taken the time to focus on running your race? Is there something God is leading you to step out and do, but you are so comfortable in your prayer closet that you haven’t actually done anything about it? Ask the Lord to show you where your heart truly is, and if this is you, it may be time to take action.

Photo by DC Irwin on Unsplash