Hebrews 12: 1 Let us strip off every weight that slows us down...and let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
The Bible describes our Christian life in terms of running a race and encourages us to run in order to win. For those non athletic readers the very idea of running is enough for you to delete this message, but I encourage you to read on.
A few months before Christmas 08 I joined a 12 week fitness challenge. The first day was a fitness assessment... an assessment to confirm just how unfit I actually was. What followed over the next 12 weeks was grueling exercises ranging from boxing sessions, endless push ups and sit-ups to running on the soft sand on the beach while carrying sandbags!! Needless to say at the end of each session we were exhausted, red in the face and out of breath!!!
We go through all this trouble to keep our physical bodies from seizing up as we get older and to keep those extra few kgs from taking up permanent residence on our bodies. What if we applied that same effort to our spiritual fitness? It is not the few extra pounds we need to worry about, but the doubts and negative beliefs that creep in threatening to extinguish our faith like a wet blanket.
Hebrews 12: ...let us strip off every weight that that slows us down.. Worry, forgiveness, bitterness, disappointment, anger, hurt are all emotions and thought patterns that weigh us down in the race of life. They are like rocks in our back packs when we go hiking, making the journey more exhausting and difficult. Each step becoming harder the longer we carry the weight.
Hebrews 12 goes on to say; Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, whom our faith depends on from start to finish. In other words, copy how Jesus lived and responded to every situation in life. Did you notice how Jesus got angry but didn't become an angry person, he suffered injustice but didn't become bitter, he was falsely accused but forgave his accusers. He didn't allow the negative emotions to attach themselves, weighing him down in the race God had called him to run.
It doesn't matter how others choose to run their race, what matters is how I run the race that God has called me to run. Over the 12 week challenge participants dropped out and they probably had legitimate reasons why they couldn't continue. Rather than dropping out of the race, wouldn't it be better to deal with the weights we have collected on the way that are making the journey more difficult than it should be.
Jesus says, "come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."
This week, take some time to lighten the load and allow God to reveal to you what weights you have collected on the journey. Confront them, accept responsibility for your part, and release those who have intentionally or unintentionally hurt you. Take action on your thoughts, and replace destructive thought patterns with new ones and allow God's word to energies and renew your soul.
Yours faithfully
Carolyn Evans-Hale
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http://www.faithforeverydayliving.com
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