Weights

 March 10, 2023

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…” —Hebrews 12:1-2

I memorized the entirety of these two verses as a teenager, so they aren’t new to me. But God’s Word is ever new, and this morning, these words from those verses hit me in an entirely new way. Exactly what are the weights that hold us back? The imagery is of a runner who strips down to the bare essentials so he can run unhindered by extraneous stuff. Heavy steel-toed boots are entirely appropriate for work in construction, but you wouldn’t want to wear them to compete at a track meet.

In the same way, there are things in life that aren’t wrong in themselves, but become inappropriate if we want to run the race God sets before us. They weigh on us and slow us down in the race of life. This morning as I read these words, I asked the Lord what is weighing me down. I didn’t like his answer. 

You might wonder how I knew it was God speaking to me. No, I didn’t hear a deep bass voice thundering from the sky. There were no spiritual pyrotechnic displays. There are generally two ways I hear God’s voice. The first way usually sounds like Linda. Yep. She is his mouthpiece more than she knows. The second sounds like my voice, but it is something I wouldn’t have thought of myself. Usually, it is something I don’t want to do. That was the case this morning. I was almost afraid to ask because I was pretty sure I knew what he would say to me. And I was right.

When I asked what might be weighing me down, God brought to mind something I’ve had my eye on for some time. There’s nothing wrong with having it. There’s no sin involved. But when I asked that question, this was the only thing that popped into my mind. Try as I might, nothing else surfaced. I asked, God answered, and I knew right away because it was something I didn’t want to do. I had other plans. 

The hard part is actually laying the matter to rest. I have no wiggle room left to me. I can’t say, “Well, maybe if I’m just willing to let go of my plans, that will be enough.” The word was pretty clear. So dear soul, be careful what you say to the Lord. He might just take you up on it. I think I’ll run a little faster now; laying aside that weight enabled me to stand a bit straighter so I can better keep my eye on the goal. When I look, I see Jesus, and seeing him, I’m running a bit lighter and faster. That’s the way it should be.