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 NLT

The writer to the Hebrews compares the life of faith to a race. He wants us able to run that race with endurance, not quitting the moment it gets tiring. Endurance builds over time, with daily practice. Endurance is also much easier if we strip off weights that slow us down, such as distractions and any habits of sin. Whatever holds us back from running the race God has set before us needs to be put aside.

Think of the goals you have set for yourself. What distractions are getting in the way of those goals? What habits are less than beneficial? You might concentrate on just one distraction at a time. Resolve by God’s grace to leave it behind. Simplify your life and only do what really counts.

Food for Thought: When we strip off the weights that slow us down, we can run God’s race with so much more vitality

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