How to Travel Light

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.

There’s a reason why successful athletes tend not to carry a lot of extra weight. If they did, they wouldn’t be competitive – they’d never have become successful athletes in the first place.

Of course, that’s stating the obvious. But when we see those lithe athletes sprinting the 100 metres or exerting superhuman endurance to run marathons, you rarely think about the fact that there’s no way they could carry extra weight, yet still do what they do.

We each have a race to run, you and I – one that’ll come to a finish line one day here on this earth. And yet many choose to run their race carrying a whole bunch of extra weight – needless weight that’ll slow them down and even make them stumble.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us. (HCSB)

The picture being painted there is of an athlete running their race in front of a huge crowd. That’s hard work; it was never meant to be. So why would you handicap yourself by lugging around that extra weight of sin that slows you down, that ensnares you? It just doesn’t make sense.

So many of God’s people long to “walk in the Spirit” in a rich, dynamic relationship with Jesus. Well, okay … Step 1 then is to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares you.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.