Lay Aside Every Weight

Imagine a runner carrying many bags.

Heartache. Grief. Unbelief. Addiction. Bad Company. Poor Choices. Lost Hope.

The runner is bogged down, unable to run. He is barely able to lift his feet. His back and shoulders hurt. His gaze is fixed upon the bags, as he is continually trying to fix them. Maybe, just maybe, if he keeps arranging them they will fall into place, and he can run well. Maybe if he holds the bags in a better fashion, he will be able to run faster.

No. He can't run well. In fact he can hardly run at all. The only solution is for him to get rid of the bags.

Oh, but the bags…

Some of them are dear to him.
Some of them he has nurtured.
Some of them have been around a long time.

Nonetheless, the runner comes to the grave conclusion that he definitely must get rid of the bags.

After a long pause, he continues to run and starts to unload the bags.
Bags fall. Tears fall.

As the bags are unloading, however, he starts to feel lighter... happier... more able to run the race. After unloading a few bags, he is now motivated to get rid of the rest. He empties the bags with a quicker pace and a joyful disposition.

"Although it be painful, it is also joyful to get rid of these bags
that I have carried for so long.
Now I can run my race with endurance".

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We are like the runner. We carry many bags. Only you know what is written on those bags. Only you know how attached you are to those bags and how they have affected and are affecting you.

If we are to run our race for Jesus with endurance, we must get rid of the bags. We must get rid of the weights that burden us.

Hebrews 12:1 – "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."

Merriam-Webster defines endurance this way:

• the ability to do something difficult for a long time
• the ability to deal with pain or suffering that continues for a long time
• the quality of continuing for a long time.

Are you able to continue with Jesus wholeheartedly for your whole life?
Are you able to walk the difficult path He calls you to walk?

Lay aside the weights and sin and run with endurance.

1. Give your weights to Jesus. Continue to pray and ask God for healing and grace. God is able to comfort us and strengthen us. He is the only One who can reach the depths of our heart and fill us with His Holy Spirit,

2. Make practical steps to get rid of weights. If there are things you can do to get rid of baggage in your life, do it. Ask God for wisdom. Ask friends for advice. Figure out what you need to do to move forward in God. Recently, I decided to take a sabbatical from my personal Facebook page because it causes me a lot of pain right now. It was not an easy decision because I like the social interaction, but it is the best decision for now.

3. Surround yourself with a company of people who encourage you to live rightly. We need the community and support of others to give us strength and remind us that we have people cheering for us!

Get rid of the weights you are carrying
and run the race with endurance!