Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1
God’s desire is for you and me to be as free as possible from ANYTHING that weighs us down from living the Christian life that best serves others and glorifies him. This scripture reminds us that we are to ‘strip off’ anything that might get in our way or ‘tangle us up.’
Any competitor in an endurance event or race will tell you that it’s important to be as light as possible for the event. A marathon runner would not wear a sweatshirt. A bicyclist would want to ride the lightest bike possible. A mountain climber scaling a high cliff, that might take several days, would not want to be carrying any gear that was not absolutely essential.
In the same token, Paul encourages us to strip away
anything that might prevent us from an abundant life (John 10:10
) – including and especially our sin. But it could be other things or habits – an addiction, emotional eating, wrong thinking habits, lies of Satan, false guilt or shame, worry, bitterness, insecurity. These and other ‘weight’ can affect our testimony, hinder our spiritual growth and can also adversely impact on our relationship with God, ourself and others
