Do you ever feel bogged down? I know I do…between the demands of church, wife, three kids, 2 dogs and whoever else is wanting a piece of my time and attention I find myself weighted down to point of a standstill.
I have some friends who are marathon runners and they have shared with me some of their training and preparation for these 26 mile road races. One of the things that each of them has shared is some of the ways they cut excess weight. These runners look for the lightest of running shoes, they wear shirts and shorts made of lightweight fabric. All of these things are done in an effort run better, last longer and finish well.
All of us are running in the race of life. Many of us however have allowed ourselves to weighted down by worry, guilt, painful memories, fear and sin. These weights slow us down, they make us work harder and they rob us of our focus. When we are burdened by these weights we easily lose sight of the goal….to finish well.
Today’s encouragement comes from the following passage of scripture:
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
There are a couple of things I want you to see in this passage. First of all God has put a cheering section in place for you. The crowd of witnesses may include your family, your friends, your co-workers and classmates. My oldest son runs in track for his high school. At his races those watching call out his name and spur him on as he runs past them. When he is falling behind they call out with words of encouragement. When he is running well they encourage him to push on. You never know who is in this crowd, and more importantly you never know the influence your life may have upon them. I have been inspired many times by watching the way others have run their race.
The second thing that we see is that we need to strip off every weight that is slowing us down. The sad part about these weights (guilt, worry, etc…) is that most of us choose to pick up those weights in the first place. We have prayed for and received God’s forgiveness and peace, but the weight is familiar and so we become like Linus from the Peanuts cartoon…we always have our security blanket with us. The weights become so familiar that they are no longer akward, because we have adapted to them and we are not even aware that they hinder us. I want you to notice who controls the burden of the hinderance…it is you. You have the option to strip it off and remove it!!!! Each day it is a choice….Am I going to carry this burden and let it weigh me down or will I leave it a the feet of Jesus?
The last point is that we run with endurance. Runners describe different stages of their runs. They talk about hitting the wall. The wall is physical and psychological point in the race where the mind and body scream out for the runner to quit. A good runner knows that this point comes right before the “runner’s high.” The runner’s high is that place where the body releases endorphins and the pain ceases. The runner can then push on to the finish line. God has set a course before you in this life. By finishing well you bring glory and honor to Him and you will inspire those who witness your race.
Today examine your race...consider your running apparel. Are you running with that medicine ball of guilt, how about that dumbbell of anxiety, perhaps it’s the backpack full of remorse. Whatever that weight is you have a choice…drop it right now or continue to carry that weight that you were never meant to bear.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment