Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1)
Background
The image in the above verse is powerful…and challenging. This verse paints a picture that our spiritual life race is being watched by a great cloud of witnesses. Think about this. The picture that comes to mind is us running around a track and the stands are packed with Christians who have passed on before us cheering us on each step of the way. The saints of the past. Our grandparents. Our mother or father. Our brothers or sisters. Our friends. Maybe even our children. They want us to race well.
But to race well requires careful consideration for what we are carrying. We want to be vigilant only to carry what is absolutely necessary. We want to be light. The weight we carry directly correlates to both our speed and our endurance level. Paul is saying that the same applies to our spiritual walk. Those racing with additional weight are at a distinct disadvantage to race as far or as quick as those who are vigilant to race with minimal baggage.
What weight is slowing you down?
Reflections
Just as the deer in the picture above, it is so easy for us to chase the shiny and find ourselves entangled.
During this past week I heard a statistic that broke me. A recent study reported that over 50% of Christian men regularly view porn on-line. Many Christian guys entangled in a shiny counterfeit. Often fighting by themselves. In anonymity. In shame. And I’m afraid in many cases having lost hope. Trying to run the most important race of their lives with chains.
God created each of us with a crazy plan for our lives…beyond what we can imagine. Christian men were created to wage spiritual battle. To be on the offensive. To love recklessly. To be available in a moment’s notice to step into a gap. To always be looking for ways to take spiritual ground for His kingdom. To wage spiritual battle effectively requires fighting and racing with little weight.
I’m nervous that few tools today are being used by satan more effectively to separate men from God, their wives and our spiritual potential than pornography.
Guys, let’s be incredibly vigilant in this area. So much is at stake. We owe it to our wives. To our children. Our savior. The depth and breadth of our spiritual legacy is at stake. Let’s have the courage to become part of an accountability group. To battle with others. To be authentic. To not delay. To have hope. To make ourselves vulnerable.
I can imagine Peter yelling from the stands for our personal race “Throw off the chains!!! Don’t lose hope! God birthed you into history to run your race at a critical time. This isn’t an accident. With God’s strength you can do this!”
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What if millions of Christian men began throwing off the chains of lust and became fixated on expanding His kingdom? Not with a defensive mind-set of just barely trying to get into heaven themselves…but with an offensive mind-set to share the good news and extend God’s radical love to as many as possible?
What if the pornography industry began to weaken because millions of Christian men began throwing off the chains?
What if... 