A Little Encouragement

Sometimes it seems like life won't give us a chance to get ahead (or even catch up, for that matter!) I thought I'd share this devotion with you, in case you're feeling overwhelmed.

Hebrews 12:1-2
“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 trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

This is wise advice for us both spiritually and physically! Whether it’s growing in God or getting our budget organized, we carry things that weigh us down and cause us to give up before we reach our goal! Physically, there are tons of things that can happen to throw us off track. In the middle of reorganizing things, the phone can ring, then we realize it’s time to run an errand, and on it goes until the day is done, we’re exhausted, and we think, “I’ll work on it more tomorrow.” When tomorrow comes, we get the feeling that it’s too difficult, and the desire to see it happen starts to fade. Before long, our motivation fades and we don’t endure.

The same thing goes on spiritually, too! We start with a great joy and excitement for our relationship with Christ, and our determination level is high! Then, just as we’re making great strides, something from our past gets thrown in our face and we begin to weaken. Instead of stripping off the weight that slows us down and trips us up, we start to lose that determination and quit trying to “run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”

Whether it’s physical or spiritual, the key to overcoming is to get rid of the weight and keep our eyes on Jesus! He went through so much for us and has become our shining Example of endurance. Remember Philippians 4:13! It’s a great reminder that we can do everything through Christ because He gives us the strength to do it! You Can Do It!!