Who Might Be Watching?

In my human development class there is a psychological term called "invisible audience". It is applied to adolescents who suspect they are the object of everyone's attention. It makes them anxious and tense adding to an already stressful time in life. Psychologists say it is only an illusion that passes with time and maturity.

I accepted this logic until a verse of scripture opened in a new light. From my earliest years I have been taught that people in Heaven are rejoicing with Jesus and are shielded from seeing this life due to the permeation of sin. But Hebrews 12:1 opened, as I said, in a new light. Hebrews 11 describes the hall of heroes whose faith (in spite of sin, failures, doubt, and weakness) allowed them to achieve great things for God. THEN comes 12:1, well here, read it for yourself;
Hebrews 11:32-12:1
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. 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.

We are (present tense, NOW) surrounded by Witnesses. Not just God, but the Host of the faithful. Not Angels, though they are here, but MEN and WOMEN of FAITH.

Call a meeting and have this heretic tarred and feathered and run out of the church on a rail!

Witnesses, look up the term in the dictionary, and we are surrounded, not off in some distant somewhere.

Invisible audience indeed, We are being watched! The response? Throw off everything that keeps us from the course God has chosen for us to run.

Would you stop in front of the Grandstands to check your shoestrings or brush off some dust at a track meet? NO, when the home crowd is watching we run the race till the race is over!!