Extra Weight
“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
Do you like to go for walks, or maybe a run or a swim? What ever you might choose, let me ask you something. In preparation, do you make sure to load yourself down by packing all your pockets with the heaviest things you can find, or strapping on a back pack before you take the plunge, or maybe you lace up your steel toe working boots to go for a run? You wouldn't do that, would you? If you want to achieve your goal and finish well, you prepare by making sure you don't carry any extra weight that will slow you down and maybe even stop you from finishing.
The same principles apply to how we live our life as a Christ follower. "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."
What are the things that are weighing you down? We are challenged in these verses to get rid of the weight and sin that is weighing us down...hmmm...weight and sin...that's two different things right?
I think sin is the easier of the two to pin point, but weight is a bit tougher because it could be lots of things, and it doesn't even have to be bad stuff. Think about how you are running the endurance race set before you. Are there things weighing you down making it hard for you to run much less finish well? Not only does this passage challenge us to get rid of the weight and sin that weighs us down, but it also shows us how our Savior, "Jesus, the founder and perfect of our faith" ran His race....how He took our weight and our sin and because of "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.”
WOW! Jesus ran, and finished the race, with our weight and sin so we could run our race free of the stuff that can slow us down and even cause us to fail. So are you ready to do that self assessment so you can get rid of some weight and sin. It's never easy, but if you do and you keep focused on that joy that lies ahead, I promise you it will be worth it when you finish your race and you hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant".
- Jerry
Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV
Do you like to go for walks, or maybe a run or a swim? What ever you might choose, let me ask you something. In preparation, do you make sure to load yourself down by packing all your pockets with the heaviest things you can find, or strapping on a back pack before you take the plunge, or maybe you lace up your steel toe working boots to go for a run? You wouldn't do that, would you? If you want to achieve your goal and finish well, you prepare by making sure you don't carry any extra weight that will slow you down and maybe even stop you from finishing.
The same principles apply to how we live our life as a Christ follower. "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."
What are the things that are weighing you down? We are challenged in these verses to get rid of the weight and sin that is weighing us down...hmmm...weight and sin...that's two different things right?
I think sin is the easier of the two to pin point, but weight is a bit tougher because it could be lots of things, and it doesn't even have to be bad stuff. Think about how you are running the endurance race set before you. Are there things weighing you down making it hard for you to run much less finish well? Not only does this passage challenge us to get rid of the weight and sin that weighs us down, but it also shows us how our Savior, "Jesus, the founder and perfect of our faith" ran His race....how He took our weight and our sin and because of "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.”
WOW! Jesus ran, and finished the race, with our weight and sin so we could run our race free of the stuff that can slow us down and even cause us to fail. So are you ready to do that self assessment so you can get rid of some weight and sin. It's never easy, but if you do and you keep focused on that joy that lies ahead, I promise you it will be worth it when you finish your race and you hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant".
- Jerry
Comments
Post a Comment