The Race Toward Heaven
Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the idea of mastery. I don’t mean that in the sense of mastering a skill. I mean that in the sense of mastering … the self.
Scripture says, “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) The picture here is not of simply avoiding obvious sin. It’s of shedding anything that hinders us from our sprint toward the Lord. The picture here is of ripping away anything that detracts from our race toward Heaven.
The question I get from reading this carefully is simply, “what is holding me back? What is getting in the way of my pursuit of Christ? Is there anything I’m unable to say no to, even temporarily?” A man should be able to say “no” to anything, if only briefly. That is exactly what the practice of fasting is pointed out: strengthening the ability to say “no” to the self’s own appetites.
Now, some might be thinking I’m driving at the aestheticism, a life of constant depriving oneself, but that’s not at all what I’m getting at. It is in that direction though. It is the ability to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of God in this life without letting them master you. We aren’t aiming at Stoicism. We’re aiming at balancing biblical enjoyment of blessings with biblical denial of self. That’s what Christ teaches us. Give thanks! Enjoy what God gives! Never let anything of this world in this life gain mastery over you and drag you away from your core purpose: glorifying God.
Can I enjoy food and yet so no to it? Can I appreciate good company and yet be alone when necessary? Can I get into a really fun video game but put it down when more important things beckon? Who is the master of my life? My appetites or Christ? If Christ is to be the master of my life, I must be able to both appreciate that which is given and say no to it, just like He did. With Him, there was a time for both feasting (Luke 22) and fasting (Matthew 4:1-2).
Scripture says our attitudes “should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men. And he humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Phil 2:5-8) We do not lay claim to our entitlements, the rightful blessings given as if they are God Himself. We lay claim to Christ! We claim His kingdom as our home by walking as He walked.
Christ denied Himself what He was AND IS entitled to for our benefit. Are you walking in those footsteps? Am I? What that might be hindering us are we denying ourselves that we might obtain an advantage toward heaven? Where your treasure is, there your heart is also. Be intentional about where you invest your desires and habits. This life is brief and everything after, well, that’s forever. Let us layup treasures for ourselves in heaven because that’s our ultimate destination. Amen.
