In the book of Hebrews, our earthly faith journey is compared to an athlete running a race.  Believers are told to throw aside every unnecessary weight or burden and turn away from the shortcoming(sin) which cleverly clings to and entangles us. When we hold on to  these encumbrances, they will interfere and sabotage our ability to keep moving forward spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  Holding on to burdens of hurt, anger, fear, unforgiveness, and negativity gives the Enemy an opening to trip us up, by ultimately generating unbelief in Christ’s ability to bring us the victory. That is why it is crucial for us to repeatedly work out our heart’s burdens with Jesus, until we are able to let them go and throw them aside. Sometimes when life’s race feels long and hard, it is easy to get tripped up in complaining and weariness. Still, it is God’s will to use these hard times not to destroy us but to develop us into patient, stable, energetic believers that have the perseverance and determination to finish the race. We are told to look away from all that will distract us and look to Jesus, who is our leader, the author and finisher of our faith, and the One who has the grace we need to keep us moving forward. God delights in having a loving relationship with his children and longs to bring each of us to spiritual maturity and victory, as we run the daily race that is set before us!

“Let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance[unnecessary weight] and that sin which so readily [deftly and cleverly] clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, who is the Leader and Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also it’s Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]”(Hebrews 12:1b-2a).