by Lindsay Mast
Synopsis: Just as weights slow us down when running---increasing the stress on our joints and the demands on our circulatory system, the weight of sin and the burden of unnecessary baggage also has a debilitating effect upon our spiritual well-being.
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne (Heb. 12:1–2, HCSB).
Every year on July 4th, 60,000 runners make their way through Atlanta for the Peachtree Road Race. Most are in patriotic-themed running attire, but every so often you may spy a different kind of runner. These individuals make their way down Peachtree Street in full military garb, complete with heavy packs, boots and flags.
They draw loud cheers from the crowd because of their military service, and also because they are running while weighted down. This is incredibly hard!
The Hebrew writer knew it! He saw good Christians tromping toward heaven, so encumbered that they were in spiritual danger. Perhaps they were not guilty of outright sinning, but he saw a better way. So how do we lay aside weights like that? It’s a three-step process:
First, we must identify the weights that are ensnaring us. Sin is often easy to spot because we know the specific things we need to steer clear of in the Bible: sexual sins, hurting people, and others that are clearly spelled out in Scripture. They can often bring swift negative consequences. Yet, other spiritual weights can be harder to spot. They probably didn’t start out inherently sinful. Often, we’ve carried them for so long, we don’t realize what would happen if we put them down.
Some of us have lugged around anger, bitterness, and anxiety for decades. Greed or feelings of worthlessness drives others to spend far too much time working. Emotional weights like these are so heavy, but they’re like an ugly family heirloom: we don’t know why we’re keeping it, but it would feel so weird not to have it!
Perhaps the weight of our physical possessions is too much to bear anymore. We went into debt to get the car or add on to the house, and now it’s crushing us. Accumulated clutter heightens our depressive tendencies. It could be that we have so much stuff that simply caring for it sucks up our time.
Ensnaring weights may even take the form of people. Relationships that draw us away from God need to be assessed honestly for their effect. Friendships that started as a conversion mission may need to be kindly ended if the person isn’t receptive (Luke 9:5).
So, how do we determine if a weight is ensnaring us? The litmus test is this question: Is this helping me get to heaven? A prayerful look can provide the answer.
Second, we should envision something better. Now we must act. Once we realize we need to resign the bitterness, or sell the car, or forego the relationship, the work starts. Yet, it can be so much easier if we consider what things will look like on the other side.
What would it feel like to be at peace with our past and to have the emotional openness to let God use us more? What would life look like without crushing debt payments and having more cash in hand? What would it look like to have the time and mental space to pursue new relationships? Do you feel freer already?
Put it down (maybe repeatedly). That vision, coupled with our trust in the Lord to care for us and show us the way (1 Pet. 5:7; John 14:6), can give us the strength to put down any weight and run a very different race. It may be necessary for us to repeatedly put something down. It can be scary suddenly to run fast. We may be tempted to pick up the old thing again because we haven’t experienced something different, better, in a while. In such circumstances, keep going back to the vision—and try again to run the race as God commands. Hebrews 12:2 says that we are to fix our eyes on Jesus. When we envision a lighter load and realize we are running straight toward our savior, we will want to be as fast and free as possible.
