The Bible never lies to you.
That may sound obvious, but it’s worth saying because the world does. So does your flesh. So does the devil. And perhaps the most common lie among them is this: If God really loved you, why does the race of the Christian life often come marked with such hardship?
However, the truth is that God loves you too much to let your soul stay soft and unshaped. The Christian life was never promised to be easy. It was promised to be worth it.
Hebrews 12 opens with the image of a race, not a casual jog, not a breezy run through the park, but a grueling contest. The Greek word translated “race” is agōn, the root of our English word “agony.” It evokes the imagery of athletes who strain every sinew and soldiers who fight to their final breath. This race demands endurance, discipline, and conviction, but most of all, it demands faith. The deep and settled belief that what we are running toward is worth it.
And what are we running toward? Jesus. The founder and perfecter of our faith. The One who endured His own race that led through betrayal, torture, and a cross for the joy set before Him. This is the pattern we’re called to follow.
And yet, here’s the tension we feel: If I’m running with Jesus, why is it still so hard? Why does the path of faith wind through valleys of sorrow, setbacks, suffering, and silence? If I’m forgiven, loved, and secure then why am I still limping?
These are not immature questions. They’re the very questions the book of Hebrews is written to answer. This isn’t milk, it’s meat. It’s a word for those who are weary of the race and wondering if the finish line is real. It’s for those who are tempted to interpret hardship as abandonment.
Yet, what if God is not absent in your suffering? What if He is intimately and lovingly involved in it? What if the fire is not consuming you, but refining you?
Hebrews 12:1–13 declares that God is not just turning hardship for your good, bury that He is using it to bring about something far deeper than comfort. In love, He is training you for holiness. He is preparing you for healing. He is shaping you into the likeness of His Son.
So today, we ask: How does God sovereignly and lovingly use hardship in our lives to bring about our holiness and healing?
Let’s look at three powerful truths from this passage that meet us right in the heart of the race.
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