“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…” Hebrews 12:1 ESV
No one purposely carries a load or puts on weight to run a race. No, the runner spends time in training and preparation to strengthen their muscles and lighten the load so that they may perform at their optimal performance. Why? Because they desire to do their very best, thus ensuring that their chances of winning the race increase significantly.
Training breaks down the muscles and rebuilds them by giving them a new method of operation. This is why the believer is encouraged by the Apostle Paul in the Second Epistle to Timothy in verse number fifteen, there Paul wrote:
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
Paul is advising Timothy to train daily in the word of God so that he is strengthened in the Word of God, so when the time arrives, he may prove himself to be a workman unto the Lord.
Secondly, we have to lighten the load. Can you imagine having to run through an airport to catch your plane while bearing the weight of your entire set of luggage that you packed for your journey? This would slow you to a point where the difficulty level increases, making arriving at your destination on time seemingly impossible. God knew that requiring you to run this race of life or entering into a period of fasting and praying while being weighed down decreases your chances for success. God wants you to win, so he instructs us to check the baggage at the gate or “lay aside every weight” so that our chances of success increase significantly.
Take a moment right now and check your own life:
- Am I trying to carry a heavy load?
- Do I genuinely believe that God wants me to let it go?
- Can I trust him with the burdens of this weight?
- Do I commit to letting it all go?
God makes a promise: ” Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you…” Psalms 55:22. If you let it all go, God will sustain you or keep you for the journey that lay ahead. Hallelujah!
Written by: Pastor Walter Robertson, III
