SURROUNDED BY WITNESSES

SURROUNDED BY WITNESSES

Heb. 12:1 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 hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.  NLT

       We are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith. We are not alone in our faith. Everywhere you are, there are fellow believers. Don't let Satan convince you otherwise. Some people don't wear their faith well and are harder to identify, but they are there. There are people around you who understand your faith struggles and issues. There are those nearby who love the Lord like you do. If you are down because you think you are all alone, ask the Lord to show you those who are His.

      We are constantly being overloaded by things that weigh us down and impede our progress. Sometimes we are the ones who create the load and sometimes we let others do it to us. There are many things that we carry around needlessly. The things that jump out at me are: the worries of this world, the quest for prominence and success in this world, the drive to please people, the drive for earthly comforts--both now and when we retire, and the sins we hang onto. Whatever it is that is slowing us down in our walk of faith, we must rid ourselves of it, especially the sin that we let hang over our souls. Sin is a powerful deterrent to spiritual progress. It keeps us away from the heart of God. The more sin we allow to hang around, the farther away from God we become, and the harder it becomes for us to live in God.

      We are running a marathon and not a sprint. In order to endure the race, we must be in good shape spiritually. Sin is excessive baggage that will prevent us from finishing well the race set before us. It robs us of our vitality and prevents us from enjoying the race. If you have unresolved sin issues in your life, you must deal with them if you are going to finish the race.

     Whatever it is that may be weighing you down spiritually, get rid of it today. The Lord will set you free from them if you will let Him, and you will be so free that will feel like you are soaring like the eagles.