“ Laying Aside Any Weight…”

BIBLE READING:  Hebrews 12-James 3

                God’s desire is for you and me to be as free as possible from anything that weighs us down from living the Christian life. This scripture reminds us that we are to ‘lay off’ anything that might get in our way or ‘tangle us up.’ Any competitor in an endurance event or race will tell you that it’s important to be as light as possible for the event. A marathon runner would not wear a sweatshirt. A bicyclist would want to ride the lightest bike possible. A mountain climber scaling a high cliff, that might take several days, would not want to be carrying any gear that was not essential. In the same way, Paul encourages us to lay aside anything that might prevent us from being as efficient as possible.  This could be our sin, an old habit or addiction, improper thought, anything that slows you down.  These and other ‘weights’ can affect our example, hinder our spiritual growth and can also adversely impact our relationship with God, yourself and others.

You see, God wants to use you in as powerful a way as possible. And, He knows that if you’re carrying around extra ‘junk’ or ‘stuff’ that it will hinder you from being as useful as possible in your service to others and to Him. So, if you’re serious about your relationship with God, and want to be used by Him in an even greater way, I encourage you to get on your knees, open your heart and humbly ask Him, “God, what ‘weight’ do you want to strip from me?” If your deep desire is to be as ‘light’ as possible, God will not only show you where the extra ‘weight’ is, His Son will strip it from you!  -Selected