Jonathan Evans shares an illustration from his NFL days. When a receiver is thrown the football, he needs to keep his eyes on the ball. Yes, you hope the drills, time after time after time, would build an expectation that the ball will be at a certain point at a certain time on a certain route … but you still need to keep your eyes on the ball.
Catching is only part of the equation … you also need to keep your feet in bounds. This is important. Even of you are not near the sidelines, the area out of bounds, you want make sure you get your feet planted and ready to continue the forward momentum. If you are near the sidelines, the principle of keeping your feet inbound is even more important.
You may have the best catch, worthy of the highlights reel, but if your feet are out of bounds, the catch means nothing. If you keep your feet inbound, but fail to connect and control a catch, the attempt means nothing.
I have taken this principle in life. The relation to Hebrews 12:1-2 is obvious …
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 esv
The keeping our eyes on Jesus, the ‘looking to Jesus’ is obvious. He is to be our focus, and we should not be distracted by the crowds, the circumstances, the fellow runners. They are important (just like teammates on a NFL team) but not the focus of our attention.
And the ‘race set before us’ is our journey. and our path has guidelines, boundaries, an area that is restrictive – restrictive for our protection and our provision.
In our Christian walk, this is the guidelines laid out by Scripture. His Word is a lamp unto our feet, a light upon our path. And the Word is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training. (2 Tim 3:16 & Psalm 119:105)
Years ago, Avery Willis elaborated this principle in his description of the Disciples Cross in his study MasterLife.
As we take up our cross daily – the foot of the cross we take up is to be planted firmly in the foundation of the Word. And the top of the cross points to the heavens and declares our focus is heavenward through prayer and worship – we keep our eyes on Jesus.
Tomorrow, we will look at the other two points of the Disciple’s Cross. The right cross bar and the left cross bar.
Muddy Shoes by Todd 
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