Runnig the Race

“THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us”
Hebrew 12:1 (Amplified Version)


As we run in the journey of life, we seem to pick up a lot of unnecessary weights, which slow us down or completely halt our progress. Sins are the greatest weights of all. But not all weights are sinful. However, they all nevertheless war against our spiritual and physical progress.

Some of the greatest inhibiting weights that we pick up along life’s journey are negative habits and lack of discipline, which are the bane of most great minds.

During a personal retreat some years back, I undertook some personal introspective evaluations and realised that my greatest challenge was the challenge of procrastination. So I developed a personal principle, which I called the “do it now” or “DIN” principle, I have tried to apply this principle to all areas of my life. The first rule of this principle is that whatever I need to do as long as it lies in my power to do them, I will do them now. This principle has helped me to deal to a large extent with the challenge of procrastination and the results have been enormous. I have not completely overcome the problem of procrastination but I’m not giving up in my battle and with God’s help I will overcome.

Hebrew 12:1 makes it clear that no runner can win a race if he is carrying a lot of weights whilst running. Life is a race and to run well, we must put away the weights that pull us back and run with patience, endurance, steady and active persistence. It is our responsibility to deal with our limiting weights as no one else will accomplish that for us.

If you are overwhelmed by your weights then please ask God in prayers for help. Remember His word says in Jude 24 that He is able to keep us from falling. And when you ask, remember that you are not alone in your battle because God is helping you to overcome your weights.

Everyone has got weights but victors constantly battle to overcome their weights.

What are the weights keeping you back today? You can with the help of God deal with them all.