Have you noticed the trend lately of walking or running while wearing weighted vests? Weighted vests certainly help build strong muscle and raise our heart rates as we walk and run, but they will likely slow us down a bit as our bodies adjust to added weight. While adding extra weight as we train to compete in races might be helpful at times, even if weighted vests slow us down, when it comes to the race of faith that we are all called to run, we must remove any extra weight that keeps us from running with excellence and perseverance. Of all of the things that weigh us down in the race of faith, sin is at the top of the list. If we want to run our races well, we must let go of any sin that is weighing us down.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to let go of sin and anything else that weighs us down as we run the race of faith that God has called us to run. He writes in Hebrews 12, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up” (verse 1). Of course, sin trips us up in the race we are running. It slows us down, distracts us, takes us off course, and moves us further from Christ instead of closer to Him. Now, throwing off the weight of sin is not always easy. It takes honesty, acknowledging to God and those around us that we need help, and discipline. The good news is that when we turn to Him and confess our sin, God is ready to offer forgiveness and help us let go of that sin and live for Him. As a result, we can have hope in our endeavor to let go of the weight of sin in our lives.
The writer of Proverbs 28 wrote about throwing off the weight of sin this way: “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy” (verse 13). When we hold on to our sin, hiding it and acting as if it is not weighing us down, we cannot properly run our race well. We will be slow and distracted. If we, however, confess our sin and turn away from it, we will run our race with endurance and excellence, not weighed down by sin or anything else.
The enemy likes to convince us that our sin is insignificant and that we can carry it and even hide it, without consequences. The truth is, sin will weigh us down every single time. Unlike a weighted vest with positive implications, sin brings about no good. It always hinders us in the race of faith that we are called to run. Will you acknowledge your sin, let go of it, and turn away from it so that you can run the race of faith unhindered?
Our task today is clear. Confess any sin today that is holding you back and hindering your faith. Admit your sin to God and ask Him to help you as you seek to turn away from that sin and run your race of faith well.
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“God, as I set out to let go of any sin holding me back in the race of faith, search my heart…”
1The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
3 A ruler who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
4 Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.
5 Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.
6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.
7 A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor
amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.
10 Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.
13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
17 Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge in the grave;
let no one hold them back.
18 The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.
19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22 The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
24 Whoever robs their father or mother
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.
25 The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.
26 Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
