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…- Hebrews 12:1.
Do you have a messy car? I am not talking about a cute little “mobile office” as you jokingly call it, but a really messy vehicle. A car so messy that you need plenty of advanced notice before you give anyone a ride anywhere. A car that is so full of junk that your friends have considered disowning you because you “have a problem”.
It is a lighthearted question, but when we dig deeper into the idea we find an interesting illustration. If I were to be completely honest, I would admit that my car tends to get messy. It’s not that I am an overly messy person, but sometimes I don’t really think about it. I have been able to compartmentalize this area of my life so it really only bothers me when I am driving. From time to time, I get so fed up with it, that I make the decision to purge everything and fill a trash can with the worthless papers and nonsense.
This Hebrews passage gives a similar mental picture. We are called to shed or “throw off” everything that hinders us. These things represent the full range of how sin manifests in our lives. We are called to get rid of envy, malice, hatred, unforgiveness, laziness, worry, greed, lust, and everything else that weighs us down. The fact is we cannot just ignore these things in our lives and be content with our spiritual walk. Part of getting closer to Jesus is the heightened awareness that we are called to be more like Him. We definitely, though, can't do this on our own. We must call on God to guide us moment by moment. We must also chose to get deeper in His word to replace the junk we are throwing away.
Today, ask God to reveal to you what needs to be purged from your life. It may be painful, but you will never regret it. When you shed these things…remember to not try to take them back. They are His now. Only God knows how to dispose of them.
Prayer for today: Lord, cleanse me and help me to be more like you. Help me to shed the things that hinder me from living a full and abundant life. Amen.
This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.
You can find his blog here: www.ministrysauce.com
Do you have a messy car? I am not talking about a cute little “mobile office” as you jokingly call it, but a really messy vehicle. A car so messy that you need plenty of advanced notice before you give anyone a ride anywhere. A car that is so full of junk that your friends have considered disowning you because you “have a problem”.
It is a lighthearted question, but when we dig deeper into the idea we find an interesting illustration. If I were to be completely honest, I would admit that my car tends to get messy. It’s not that I am an overly messy person, but sometimes I don’t really think about it. I have been able to compartmentalize this area of my life so it really only bothers me when I am driving. From time to time, I get so fed up with it, that I make the decision to purge everything and fill a trash can with the worthless papers and nonsense.
This Hebrews passage gives a similar mental picture. We are called to shed or “throw off” everything that hinders us. These things represent the full range of how sin manifests in our lives. We are called to get rid of envy, malice, hatred, unforgiveness, laziness, worry, greed, lust, and everything else that weighs us down. The fact is we cannot just ignore these things in our lives and be content with our spiritual walk. Part of getting closer to Jesus is the heightened awareness that we are called to be more like Him. We definitely, though, can't do this on our own. We must call on God to guide us moment by moment. We must also chose to get deeper in His word to replace the junk we are throwing away.
Today, ask God to reveal to you what needs to be purged from your life. It may be painful, but you will never regret it. When you shed these things…remember to not try to take them back. They are His now. Only God knows how to dispose of them.
Prayer for today: Lord, cleanse me and help me to be more like you. Help me to shed the things that hinder me from living a full and abundant life. Amen.
This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.
You can find his blog here: www.ministrysauce.com
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