"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"   Heb. 12:1

I take it from this passage that our lives are on display to those who have finished their course before us. They are, as it were, cheering us on. I like the way Eugene Peterson paraphrases this passage in The Message – “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it…”. And as we run our race, we do well to remember the stories of those who ran before us. Their legacies. Their examples. We need them for our race. Here’s just one example of what I’m talking about:

Pliny was the Roman governor in Asia Minor during the early second century. He was so often confused by what to do with a new sect called "Christians" that he wrote a now famous letter to the Emperor Trajan asking for his advice. Typical of what he encountered is the following:

A certain unknown Christian was brought before Pliny. Finding little fault in him, the governor proceeded to threaten him. "I will banish thee," he said.

"Thou canst not," was the reply, "for all the world is my Father's house."

"Then I will slay thee," said the Governor.

"Thou canst not," answered the Christian, "for my life is hid with Christ in God."

"I will take away thy possessions," continued Pliny.

"Thou canst not, for my treasure is in heaven", replied the believer.

"I will drive thee away from man and thou shalt have no friend left," was the final threat.

And the calm reply once more was, "Thou canst not, for I have an unseen Friend from Whom thou art not able to separate me."

Personally, I look forward to meeting that Christian one day. And thanking him for the encouragement and inspiration his encounter with Pliny brought me and countless others over the centuries. My guess is he'll just shake his head and grin modestly. You see, he had no possible idea how far his godly response to a difficult situation would travel. And neither do you know, my friend, how far your God-enabled response to a difficult situation will travel. Just know that it will ( I Cor. 15:58;  Phil. 1:6; II Tim.1:12). God makes sure of that.