Get Up and Keep Running: Thoughts for the Class of 2013

Devotion:

Thank you all for giving me the honor of speaking to you this morning. Mrs. Bazanowski asked if I could lead the breakfast devotions. I am so excited to be able to do this. But just a fair warning, this isn’t a typical devotion -- after all, it’s basically my last time to talk here at EC, and there is about a million things I want to say. Especially to you graduating seniors!

This may happen to you a lot in the next few months -- well-meaning adults that want to give you all the advice they’ve been meaning to give you for years.

Here’s the thing. Statistics say that somewhere between 60 and 80% of Christian teens will lose their faith when they go away to college. And all of us adults in your life -- your parents, teachers, friends...we’re pretty scared about that. We’re scared we didn’t do our jobs well enough. I know some of you are already convinced that’s true! And you might be right. But that’s what we’re going through these days.

So what I would love to do is somehow convince you, in the next few minutes, to be lifelong Christians. No pressure.

But really, all I can do this morning, is tell you a bit of my story and why I am a still a Christian 20 years after I graduated from high school. It’s a long story. So, I’m going to steal a page from Ann’s senior chapel and realize that since there is no way I can express so much of what is in my heart, I can at least tell you 3 things that I’ve discovered along the way.

Hebrews 12:1-3 is the passage I want to look at this morning for our devotions. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Now the big important part of these passage is the focus on Jesus and what he did for us. Read that passage over, and often, and really meditate on that. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and think often about his life and what he went through for us. It’s humbling! And it’s how you don’t grow weary or lose heart.

That being said, I am going to focus a bit now on verse 1.

1) The first thing I’ve discovered: the importance of Perseverance

If I was a senior in high school and working on my worldview, my metaphor would be easy. “Life is like the 400m hurdles.” Sorry I didn’t tell you about this sooner, but it is easily the best. worldview. ever. Ask Bethany. The very first time I ran the 400m hurdles in 8th grade, I fell...on the very first hurdle. It was truly an epic fail. I lay there for a bit wondering if I should just go home and never show my face again on the track. Then an official said “well, you might as well keep running.” So I did. I finished that race, and I kept running that event, and it turned out I got pretty good at it and now for the past few years have had the privilege of coaching it. Because “I might as well keep running.”

The 400m is a tough race--I proudly like to say THE toughest, but I’ve honestly never run anything else so what do I know? You need to try to sprint the entire time while running aggressively (not jumping, right Bethany?) over these obstacles that keep getting in your way. Like I said, it’s a perfect life metaphor. And it’s all about perseverance -- keep running and churning those legs and getting over obstacles however you can until you reach the finish line.

You will find passages about perseverance littered throughout the Bible. Because the writers knew, and God knows, that keeping on is not easy. Even Isaiah 40, that great verse that the EC Eagles get their mascot from...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles!” But it doesn’t end there. It ends with a whimper, not a bang. “They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Woohoo! Walk and not faint! But life is like that.

Life is going to trip you up at some point...it’s going to try to make you faint when you are just walking down the street. Some of you know this already. I didn’t know it until I was about 25, and my father in law got brain cancer and then died in just a few short pain-filled months. I had no idea life could be so cruel and gut wrenching.  It really threw me, and I really struggled with a lot of stuff spiritually that I hadn’t had to confront until that point. Does God really answer prayer? Why not mine? Is God really good, really all powerful? Or he is just a fairytale we tell our kids?

I am going to share something that I never dared to say out loud before. (Leaving has it’s privileges). These doubts and questions have never gone away. About 3 years ago, I really, really was at a point where I didn’t know if I could honestly call myself a Christian any more. I did -- I went through all the motions. I was a Christian school teacher and a Sunday School teacher, a Christian father -- what was I supposed to do!?! If I admitted this, I felt like I would lose my job and break my kids’ hearts. So before I admitted my severe doubts and crisis to the world, I faked it for a little while.

You guys were sophomores at the time. James, Dan & Dan, Josh, Anthony, Tyler, Matt, David -- you guys had me for first block computer programming. I didn’t want to do devotions that year because I felt like a complete hypocrite. And I know you remember what I ended up talking about. “Everything is ______________ (meaningless). ” Go old Ecclesiastes. I put a Christian spin on it, and I did mean it, that search for meaning in life, but it was a tough time.

Perseverance. Hang on even in the tough times, the dark times. “You might as well keep running,” so I did. And even though it felt like I was faking, I kept going just a little longer. And then, that Spring Break, I took a trip to Africa. Anyone want to guess if that changed my life? I hope my class noticed something different about me...I like to think you did, since almost all you ended up going to Uganda or another mission’s trip over the next 2 years.

I found something so much bigger than myself when I was in Uganda. It was a bit like in Job when God speaks up and is all “Where were you when I formed the earth?” Like, whoa...God is huge and I am puny and I kind of take back my big existential crisis.

I certainly still have moments of doubt and worry. But denying God’s existence after my two trips to Africa is ludicrous to me now -- it would be denying what I have personally seen and experienced. So when people ask me why I am now moving to Africa...I have a hard time telling them. It’s because of Africa that I still believe in God. It’s made me a better person, even here in America, but I think God wants me back over there -- there are still things I need to learn in Africa.

Even if you are struggling, even if you are quite sure that there is no way that God could ever, ever exist...keep running a little while longer. Put one foot in front of the other for a bit, even if you’re not feeling it. Because it’s not about a feeling, it’s about a commitment to the race. And God can break in at any moment and throw you to your knees. Just keep running and see what happens. If you get really bold, dare God to show himself. (But get ready for an earth-shattering, move-to-Africa answer.)

2) Another thing I’ve discovered: The Cloud of Witnesses

So let’s say you are struggling with doubt. You are thinking about hanging up the track shoes and dropping out of the race. Here is the key thing that has kept me from doing that: I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Every time I think to myself that there is no way that God could be real, I remember all the people that I know, that I trust, that I respect, that are Christians.

Just look at the faculty I am working with. I cannot believe that all of these great, smart, kind people are wrong. Would I say that I know better about these matters than Mr. Verrengia, or Ms. P? Would I really want to get into an argument about it with Doc or Mr. Bev? It’s actually unfair to name names here...all these coworkers, I am quite certain they are better people than I am.

When I question my own beliefs, I am also questioning theirs, and I can’t do that -- I don’t dare do that. And that’s not to mention my friends, my family. Now I know that when you think of Christian adults, you may first think about your parents. And maybe that’s not a positive correlation right now. But think of your Christian friends, your Christian mentors. I am not going to say there aren’t a lot of great people out there that don’t yet know God. But me personally, when I think of the best people I know, the people I want to emulate, the people who really seem to have figured something out about life that makes sense -- they are Christians.

When you are struggling...think less about yourself and your doubts, and more about the cloud of witnesses around you. Boy, if you really have to, remember me. One of the most humbling things in my life is when my wife reminds me she is still a Christian because of me -- she graduated EC and was ready to pack up her faith and move on. Then she met me and I wouldn’t let her. And I can tell you that through the years, the tables have turned and she has kept me faithful.

Find yourself a cloud of witnesses. Trust them even when you don’t trust God. And then pick yourself up and keep running.

3) One last thought on Casting off the Sin

One last point, and I’ll try to keep it short. Another part of the verse was “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” It says that the sin easily entangles. It also makes it sound like it’s pretty easy to just cast all that off. Shake it off and keep running. It reminds me of coaching track, especially watching the two mile race, where I am standing on the sideline yelling great advice to Tyler... “Hey Tyler, you should run *faster!*” Of course, we all know it’s easy to say but not as easy to do.

So here’s one little idea about how to do this. It’s not so much how to throw off the sin, but how to keep it from sticking. Do good works. As you go off to college, or to the military, or to work, keep something in mind -- life is not about you. You won’t hear this very often. In our culture, when you are 18-22 years old, it seems that we actually give you permission to be selfish. Get out there and be independent! Live life! Discover yourself! And hey, we all do want you to discover more about yourself and find out what you want to do with your life.

But it’s not all about yourself. Life, the world...it’s all very much NOT about you. It is about what you can do for others. If you are struggling, if you are at that point where you feel that Christians are a bunch of hypocrites, or that if God was real, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world...instead of giving up on God, wait a little bit and first do something good for someone else. Spend some time trying to fix a little of that pain and suffering. Empty yourself, and see what happens.

Listen, I wish I had some magic words of advice for you that would keep those doubts and fears at bay. I wish your life would go so awesomely that you’d never have to question God’s goodness and blessings. But I know some of you have already experienced a lot of brokenness. I know some of you have already chosen to not believe. And I am not going to be able to change your mind. All I can say is persevere...remember your cloud of witnesses...and do good things for other people. Maybe it will help.

Class of 2013...I am going to miss you all. Hey, did you know that I am completing my 12th year teaching at EC? In a way, I feel a lot like you do, graduating after 12 years of EC influence on my life. Ready to move onto a great new adventure. Let’s both go out of here with EC’s lessons in our hearts and minds. And oh yeah, let us not forget the rest of Hebrews 12...keep our eyes on Jesus and hold fast to him. Then, we might as well get up and run.