Page 6 - "The Staff"

Lay Aside
God’s desire is for you and me to be as free as possible from ANYTHING that weighs us down from living the Christian life that best serves others and glorifies him. This scripture reminds us that we are to ‘strip off’ anything that might get in our way or ‘tangle us up.’
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12
Any competitor in an endurance event or race will tell you that it’s important to be as light as possible for the event. A marathon runner would not wear a sweatshirt. A bicyclist would want to ride the lightest bike possible. A mountain climber scaling a high cliff, that might take several days, would not want to be carrying any gear that was not absolutely essential.
God does not want us trying to do this ‘stripping off’ in our own strength or by ourselves. He wants us to keep our eyes on His Son and to live by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. This is how we run and finish the race of life well. This is how we rid ourselves of the sin that so easily entangles us. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and we live by the Holy Spirit’s power, we won’t grow weary or become discouraged. We will persevere. We become, with Jesus, more than we can be on our own!