Do you see what I see? The legs, rear, back, and arms don't look too bad...but what about that stomach?! I'm not trying to make fun in any way- please don't get me wrong...My point today is to talk about extra weight and the fact that it hinders us and slows us down. Hebrews 12:1-2 says "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses, 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. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus." Even though there are people all around us, WE(personally) have to choose to not let anything or anyone cut in on our race. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."
Everyday, it's easy to go through the motions of the day and not realize our lives are a RACE. Our race is against Time, basically. What all can we accomplish before we die...How much money can we make, how many movies can we watch, how many people can we help, how many "toys" can we buy, how many places can we travel to, how many races can we win? (You can add your own HOW MANY'S) What is the weight though in your life that is slowing you down? Maybe it is physical weight, but maybe it's fear? There are many things that can slow us down, but the Bible makes it clear and sums it up as SIN... Everyone runs in the race- so don't fool yourself to think that you're not in the race because you are! There's no way you can opt out of this Race.
People with self discipline are usually the happiest people I've known. Their body doesn't control them- they control it! There are a lot of things out of our control- but we do have control when it comes to how we're going to finish! We can choose to run with ENDURANCE (that means not giving up) or we can choose to sit on the sidelines. Even though we've got a number and are in the race, doesn't mean we HAVE to accomplish anything. Do you realize if you are not a christian- than that's the type of life you have? You have a number but your life is not effective. I didn't say your life was not worth anything, but You're just NOT going to win the race. It's not easy letting go of the weight! But if you are being hindered, why wouldn't you want to just let it go? You may not even realize it, but I pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal it to whoever is reading this blog.
We can do such a better job running the race when we've let go of our sin and THEN we can run with endurance. If we hold onto our sin, we will have a much harder time and who knows if we will even be able to finish! We can't see God if we have sin in our life! He is HOLY! He doesn't expect for us to be perfect, but he can expect to be surrounded in Heaven by those who Love him & who have accepted Jesus as our sin offering. Even with all the trophies or medals etc. I've won in this life- The ones I get in heaven are the ones that really matter. Because Jesus Christ is the One WORTH living for and those rewards will last FOREVER! Philippians 3:14 "So I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus"
