Throw It Off

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Here's a simple question. But one that is difficult to answer.

What's holding you back from running well? Not running easily, but running well?

This passage encourages us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

Hindrances can be things that are good, but not the best. Religious activity? Pursuit of perfection? Saying yes? What is weighing you down from the race you are called to run?

And what about "sin that so easily entangles?" Sin can be intentional wrongdoing, but it can also be anything else that gets us offline or out of the lane we're supposed to run in. I picture a sprinter who has been assigned a lane but wanders out of it for some reason. Perhaps she's trying to take a short cut. Maybe he's looking around to see where the other runners are. If a runner does this, they are bound to wander in their lane - slowing them down (at best) or causing them to leave their lane (at worst). What are the things that get you twisting and turning, causing your feet to get tangled up in your run? It could be wrong choices. It could be habits. It could be looking around and comparing ourselves to others rather than simply looking ahead.

Final question for you to consider. What step could you take this week to help you run your race better? Learning to run well can take a lifetime of training so don't fret about getting it all right, right now. But is there one "step" you could take to throw something off this week so that you are freed up, even a little bit, to run well?