Isn’t it interesting how some childhood memories stick vividly in our memories and others are lost in the mists of time? I can vividly remember the day when I learnt to ride a bike. I had a small purple bike that had training wheels and I was quite content whizzing around on it our drive. I had no ambition to have the training wheels removed. But on this particular Sunday afternoon we were going for a family walk and my Dad took the training wheels off the bike, telling me that I was going to learn to ride my bike without them. We started off on the walk with me pedalling along and my Dad holding the back of the saddle. After a little while he would let go and I would unwittingly be riding the bike on my own. However, I kept turning around to see if he was holding me and when I did that invariably I wobbled to a halt and fell off. Eventually I learnt that to ride successfully I had to keep moving forwards and focus on what was ahead of me rather than what was behind.

In Hebrews 12:1-2 we read: “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.”

If you’ll forgive me I would like to offer a paraphrase: “Heaven is cheering you on, so stop looking behind you and being distracted by things that make you fall off. Keep pedalling – keeping your eyes focused on Jesus ahead of you because when you do you’ll zoom along!”

What’s distracting you? Are you looking behind? Are you focused on Jesus?