Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Hebrews 12:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Understand:
Our walk with Christ is described as a race that requires discipline and endurance. If we’re to run this race, then we’ve got to strip off everything that hinders us. This includes things that tend to be shame-driven; things we tend to put our trust in more than God. These could be: material possessions, family ties, position, titles, beauty, or the love of comfort. The things we make out to be idols can hinder our race. So, we’ve got to lay them aside.
He wants us to see that Jesus thought so little of shame that He didn’t even bother to avoid it. Think about it for a moment… Jesus submitted to the shame of temptation and suffering without striking out against those who harmed Him. Instead, He entrusted Himself to the Father’s judgment. Jesus endured the shame of the cross because of joy—joy in glorifying His Father and joy in redeeming His brothers and sisters (see Hebrews 2: 11-12).
He’s telling us these things so we will not get ensnared by them. He’s warning us to pay attention and to keep our eyes riveted on Jesus. Jesus, the One who undauntedly endured the bitter suffering of the cross, who despised the humiliation and embarrassment of it, and who was sustained by a faith that looked forward to the coming joy and glory despite consciousness of present pain and shame. This is the One who has provided the only perfect example of what the life of faith is like. This is the One we’re to turn toward and run to…the “Author and Perfecter of Faith!”
Apply:
Have you fixed your eyes on Jesus? Is there anything that is weighing you down, that is taking your eyes off of Him? Ask Him to show you anything you need to confess, anything you need to lay down, and then ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to keep Jesus Christ in your sight.
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.) Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.