DON'T GIVE UP

Spencer Moreau

Before beginning this devotional, go read Hebrews 12:1-3. If you are on your phone, you can click this link here: https://bible.com/116/heb.12.1-3.nlt.

The Christian life is like a long race. And if you want to run this race, I challenge you to run hard. Don’t give up. If you’ve ever played some sort of sport, you can understand what it means physically to “run hard”. This passage warns of a couple of things that will slow us down and make it more difficult to run. The ESV says,

“…Let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”

Hebrews 12:1b

Pay close attentions to those words. “…lay aside every weight, AND sin which clings so closely…” Sometimes in order to pursue Christ more, we have to get rid of things in our lives that aren’t necessarily a sin, but do get in the way of our relationship with Christ. Here’s a marriage example. My wife Lindsay and I celebrated our 2-year anniversary in June. After you get past what people call the “honeymoon phase”, you begin an intense time of sanctification. This is a time where you and your spouse point out flaws, bad habits, and issues in each other’s lives that aren’t healthy. It is a hard process, but you always come out a better person if you approach it humbly. My wife lovingly pointed out a bad habit in my life not long ago that I have been working on. Basically I have a “one track mind”. I am not a good multi-tasker. Whenever I have my mind set on something or I am working on something, I tend to ignore everything and everyone else going around me. It is not a habit I want to keep! Because I work in ministry, there are times I get so focused on a ministry related task that I forget a commitment promise that I made to my wife, which leaves her frustrated because I don’t follow through. Ministry is absolutely not a sin, but my exclusive focus on it can hinder my relationships with others.

I want you to sit quietly sometime today with a notebook and a pen, and analyze your relationship with God right now. Are you truly putting Him first? Is there a sin that you keep coming back to that is hurting your relationship with God? Is there maybe something that isn’t a sin that is getting in the way of pursuing Christ? Write those things down, pray over them every day, and make a serious commitment to changing those things. Throw off those weights, and continue to run harder toward Jesus!

When you have a chance, watch this powerful 3-minute video from John Piper about this same passage. https://www.youtube.com/wa4tch?v=0elhYaESJkY