Hebrews 12:1 

Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight.…

—

 DAILY READING –  – 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 2 Kings 11; Micah 2
About 2,300 years ago a young man by the name of Alexander the great, walked into the history books when he led his army on an 18,000 km march from his home in Greece all the way to India. 

This march wasn’t just impressive because it was far-reaching but because it was unstoppable. Alexander didn’t just travel 18,000 km he fought his way through it and never once met an enemy that he didn’t defeat. 

However when his army was advancing on Persia, at one critical point, it appeared that his troops might be defeated. The soldiers had taken so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted down and were losing their effectiveness in combat.

Alexander commanded that all the spoils be thrown into a heap and burned. The men complained bitterly but soon saw the wisdom of the order. After they had gotten rid of the possessions weighing them down, it was as if wings had been given to them—they walked lightly again, going on to conquer more territories.  

Hebrews 12:1 says ‘Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight.’

The Bible often likens us, Christians to runners. Indeed life is a race and to win in this race, we must “lay aside every weight” that would drag us down and rob us of our strength and endurance. 

Weights are those things in our lives that are contrary to God’s will  for us. Weights are things that sometimes may not be explicitly sinful, but they do weigh us down spiritually and keep us from making progress in the journey of life. They keep us from walking in step with the Spirit by burdening  us with things of the flesh.  

In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul tells the Church in Corinth that all things not explicitly called sin are lawful for them, but not all of them are helpful. He continues in 1 Corinthians 10:23 by saying not all things build up.

Indeed there are things we may allow in our lives that does not help to build us up spiritually. These may be things such as ; excessive desire for possessions, the love of money, pursuit of pleasure, or slavery to sinful passions etc. Or it could be struggling with a particular sin, habit, attitude, or fear that keeps us from running our race of faith the way we ought. 

These things make it difficult for us to please God. And when we know we’re not pleasing God, we typically aren’t happy with ourselves. Weights keep us from the joy Jesus has set before us. Therefore along with repenting of sin, developing a lifestyle of throwing off weights is monumental for our spiritual growth. 

As soldiers of Christ, we must rid ourselves of anything that hinders us in the conflict with our spiritual enemy. To fight the battle effectively, we must be clad only with the armor of God as found in Ephesians 6:11-17.
  Yes, if we are to fight the good fight of faith and run the spiritual race with endurance, then we must break off every weight, so that we can run unhindered this race of destiny helped along by God’s grace!

PRAYER: Lord, I know you have so much in store for me, please enable me to lay aside weights and things that hinder me from making progress in my spiritual journey.  I receive grace today to live a life that pleases You always in Jesus Name. ..   

QUOTE 

Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS]