FROM THE TOP
LELAND ACKER
A dream of mine came true Thanksgiving Day, 2001. I got to see the Dallas Cowboys host the Denver Broncos. I had always watched Cowboys games on TV, and was excited at the prospect of getting to see a game at Texas Stadium, Texas' football's holy site (until it gets bulldozed next year).

Walking into the stadium, I looked up and saw the Ring of Honor, which contains the names of all the Cowboy greats who had gone on to retirement. Some had gone from this earth. There was Don Meredith, Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett and Randy White, among others. Looking at the Ring of Honor, I pointed out the names to my wife and told her their stories.

The Ring of Honor serves as a motivator for today's Dallas Cowboys. Each player wearing the white, silver and blue uniforms are encouraged to perform at the top of their game in hopes they will one day be added to the Ring of Honor.

Hebrews 11 is like the Ring of Honor for Christians. In Hebrews 11, the names and accomplishments of the great men and women of the Bible are recorded.

There's Abel, who by faith offered up a more excellent sacrifice. How about Noah, who by faith moved quickly and built the ark. Abraham left his home country and followed God to where the LORD led him.

There are so many Faith Ring of Honor inductees, that even the writer of Hebrews declared, "And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets." (Hebrews 11:32).

Hebrews 12:1 then says "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

God does not want us merely existing. He wants us running... working hard to accomplish His will in our lives. For me, that involves preaching the Gospel at every opportunity. For you, it might mean touching the lives of your customers through your kindness and honesty.

We have great examples in the scriptures to go by. All those mentioned in Hebrews 11 faced some of the same struggles we do. By studying their lives in the Bible, we can learn to overcome those struggles the same way they did. The common theme, of course, was faith.

Honor your Christian heritage. Run the race set before you. chreporter@mediactr.com