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DROOPING ARMS AND CROOKED FEET (v.12)
- Hebrews 12:1-13 MKJV
- (1) Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
- (2) looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.
- (3)
For consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be weary and faint in your minds.
- (4)
You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
- (5)
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him;
- (6)
for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives."
- (7)
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father does not chasten?
- (8)
But if you are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons.
- (9)
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
- (10)
For truly they chastened us for a few days according to their own pleasure, but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.
- (11)
Now chastening for the present does not seem to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it.
- (12)
Because of this, straighten up the hands which hang down and the enfeebled knees.
- (13)
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.
Have you ever felt so tired that you couldn't put one foot in front of the other? Have you ever felt what an anonymous poet felt when he wrote,
- I wish I was a little rock. . .A sittin' on the hill
- A doin' nothin' all day long. . .`Cept just a sittin' still
- I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't sleep. . . I wouldn't even wash
- I'd sit and sit a thousand years. . . And rest myself, by gosh!
Some people are very tired. In fact, one of the great dividing lines in this world seems to be between those who are high energy persons and those who are low energy persons. The super successful people in this world are invariably high energy people. They get so much done because they move like a whirlwind. They never seem to tire. On the other hand there are some people who can barely drag themselves out of bed. Particularly on Monday morning. If this is your problem, listen to the words of St. Paul: "Lift your drooping arms, and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet. . . ."
These words come from Hebrews chapter 12. At the beginning of this chapter Paul paints a picture for us. He compares the Christian life to running a race. It's a familiar picture. The stands are filled with spectators. Paul calls them a great cloud of witnesses. Who are these witnesses? We read their names in the preceding chapter. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews has been called the Westminster Abbey of the Bible. It is a lengthy roll call of faithful followers of God. Such notables are listed as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rahab, Moses, the Judges, David, Samuel and all the prophets. They have run their race; now it is our turn. It is our turn to run with perseverance the race that is set before us as we cast aside everything that hinders us including our sin, our fears, and our doubts. How shall we run to victory? Particularly those of us with drooping arms and weak knees? Where will we find the energy not only to compete but to win?
WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE, FIRST OF ALL, THAT OUR ENERGY LEVEL HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR MENTAL STATE.
People with a high energy level are invariably optimistic, determined people. We could say about those who complain of no energy, the drain begins with the brain. Our energy level is related to our attitude toward life.
Two elderly sisters bought a house beside a road and put up a sign that read "Antiques." People would stop, and the sisters would serve tea and cookies mixed with much enjoyable conversation. Later the visitors would ask to see the antiques. The sisters would eagerly answer, "You're looking at them." These two sisters didn't bemoan their age. They didn't sit around and complain about their advanced years. They accepted their age and apparently had a good time with it! ( Robert H. Spain, HOW TO STAY ALIVE, (Nashville: Dimensions, 1992), p. 90. )
We probably don't talk enough about the importance of attitude in the church. A healthy attitude is one of the clearest indications we have of a vital and productive faith. And certainly, attitude makes an enormous difference in the world outside.
The Cox report on American business said that 94 percent of Fortune 500 executives attribute their success to attitude more than any other basic ingredient. Why would attitude make such a huge difference? One reason is that the better our attitude, the higher our level of energy.
You've experienced it yourself. You've had a rough day at work. By four o'clock you are dragging. You're yearning for the five o'clock whistle. You struggle through traffic, drag your weary body home, and plop down in your easy chair, too worn out to do anything but reach for the remote control. But a friend calls and invites you to do something you really enjoy. Suddenly you have a burst of energy you never dreamed you had. When you are doing something you enjoy, amazing energy is available. Energy is primarily mental. It is related to attitude.
This is not to say that there cannot be underlying physical causes of chronic fatigue. Certainly there can. Such things as infections, anemia, thyroid problems, diabetes, drug abuse, cancer, and sleep disorders can drain us of energy. In the case of chronic tiredness, a physical check-up may be in order. There may be a serious problem with your health. But there are other factors that can play a role in fatigue like anger, boredom, anxiety and stress. Energy is related to our mental state.
A beautiful example of this is work done by Dr. Henry Goddard on the effects of criticism upon energy. Dr. Goddard developed an instrument called the ergograph which measures energy levels. Students were instructed to run on a treadmill. As a student became tired and exhausted on the treadmill, his energy level--as measured by the ergograph--would gradually drop. However, if researchers said to the student, "You're doing great . . . keep up the good work. . . I'm proud of you," suddenly, the student's energy would dramatically improve. On the other hand, if they said, "You're lazy. . . quit dragging your feet . . . what's wrong with you. . . ."--talking discouragingly and critically, the energy curve would go down.
Now let's go back to our text. Paul tells us we are not alone in the race of life. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. They are cheering us on, "You're doing great . . . keep up the good work. . . we're proud of you." Whenever our arms start to droop in serving Christ we need to recall that great cloud of witnesses. We can recall the persons who have gone before us in this church. "Keep up the good work," they say to us. And their encouragement makes a difference.
Let me give you a terrific example of this phenomenon. General George Patton once recalled an incident which occurred during the Argonne offensive of 1918 in the midst of heavy fighting. "I felt a great desire to run," says Patton. "I was trembling with fear when suddenly I thought of my progenitors and seemed to see them in a cloud over the German lines looking at me. I became calm at once and saying aloud, `It is time for another Patton to die'. . . went forward to what I honestly believed to be certain death." (Martin Blumenson, THE PATTON PAPERS 1885-1940 (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1972). Cited in Allen Wheelis, HOW PEOPLE CHANGE, (New York, Harper & Row Publishers, 1973), p. 77. ) How's that for a cloud of witnesses? Patton saw those men and women who had proudly borne the Patton name before him. We need to have our own cloud of witnesses--for energy is primarily mental.
ENERGY IS ALSO RELATED TO HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OURSELVES.
Later in this chapter, Paul cautions us not to get disheartened when difficult times come. We should regard these times, says St. Paul, as times of discipline. Just as a loving parent disciplines his or her child, so God disciplines those God loves. It is a compliment to us, St. Paul is saying. God regards us as sons and daughters. This is important. How we feel about ourselves is a critical determinant of our energy level. One of the deadliest drainers of energy is low self-esteem. How do we view ourselves?
Let's consider the case of a very competent young woman named Sharon. Sharon works as a computer operator at a large software company. She is well-educated and very good at what she does, but she is not one to blow her own horn. In her spare time she has developed an amazing new software application that could not only advance the company's performance but her career as well. However, Sharon has not shared her work with anyone. She is afraid of presenting it. She is afraid that it will be rejected and she will look incompetent. Just the thought depresses her and leaves her feeling fatigued. The main cause of her low energy level is not physical, it is mental; it is fear--fear caused by the fact that she does not believe in herself. When you do not believe in yourself, you will often feel tired and listless. It is important for us to know that God believes in us. We are God's own children. We can throw back our shoulders and walk proudly and vigorously in the world. We no longer need to be dominated by our fears but by our faith. Our level of energy is related to our attitude and to our feeling of self-esteem.
AND FINALLY, OUR ENERGY LEVEL IS RELATED TO OUR SENSE OF PURPOSE.
If we are involved in a cause we really believe in, we find the energy to see it through. The best way to cure drooping arms and weak knees--in St. Paul's picturesque language --is to have a straight path for our feet.
Imagine a situation in which you have been totally committed. Maybe it was a special project you were working on at work or at church. Remember how you felt as if you could just go on and on with it? You worked way overtime or far into the night and you seemed to have boundless energy and enthusiasm. That's what a sense of purpose does for you.
Evelyn Lauder, Corporate vice-president of Estee Lauder, Inc., expresses it like this: "If you believe you're doing something creative and wonderful, if you love what you're doing, you'll find the energy to climb to the mountaintop and shout about it . . . Energy breeds energy; the more you do, the more you can do."
So true. Energy breeds energy, and a sense of purpose helps fuel that energy. St. Paul's words are right on target: "Lift your drooping arms and strengthen you weak knees," he says, "and make straight paths for your feet." Some of us wouldn't have drooping arms and weak knees if we had a straight path for our feet! Let me tell you a story that sums it all up beautifully.
A group of refugees were about to flee a war zone by hiking over some of the most rugged terrain in their country. As they were about to leave, they were approached by a frail, old man and a sickly mother who carried an infant. The leaders of the group agreed to take these rather frail refugees along with the understanding that the men would take turns carrying the baby, but that the mother and the old man would have to make it on their own.
Several days into the journey the old man fell to the ground, saying he was too exhausted to continue. He pleaded to be left behind to die. Facing the harsh reality of the situation, the leaders of the group reluctantly decided to do just that. Suddenly the young mother placed her baby in the old man's arms, told him that it was his turn to carry the child and walked away with the group of men. It was several minutes before she allowed herself to look back but, when she did, she saw the old man stumbling along the trail with the child in his arms. (Joseph P. Klock, "The Purpose Of Life," PERSONAL SELLING POWER, Nov/Dec 1992, p. 62.) Whenever we have a purpose in life, we discover a wellspring of strength and courage.
So, lift your drooping arms. We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. We are sons and daughters of God. Our purpose is to share God's kingdom with the world. Energy is related to our attitude, our self esteem and our sense of purpose.
In July of 1981, Bill Broadhurst entered the Pepsi Challenge 10,000 meter road race in Omaha, Nebraska. He did not resemble the other 1200 runners on the track. Ten years earlier, surgery for an aneurysm in the brain had left him paralyzed on his left side. But Bill was determined to run the race. As the great crowd surged forward. Bill threw his stiff left leg forward. His slow plop-plop-plop rhythm seemed to mock him as the pack faded into the distance. Sweat rolled down his face, pain pierced his ankle, but he kept going. Six miles and two hours and twenty-nine minutes later, Bill reached the finish line. A man approached from a small group of bystanders. Bill recognized him from pictures in the newspaper. It was Bill Rodgers, the famous marathon runner. "Here," said Rodgers, putting his newly won medal around Bill's neck. "You've worked harder for this than I have." (Contributed by Wayne Long. Source: ILLUSAURUS)
"Lift your drooping arms and strengthen your weak knees," says St. Paul, "and make a straight path for your feet." There is a fount of energy available to you and to me. A new attitude--a new feeling of self worth--a great new purpose--and one day a crown of victory placed on our heads by Christ himself.
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