Lay Aside Every Weight

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:1 ESV) What a wonderful verse to have in our sights at the beginning of this New Year. I usually focus on “the sin which clings so closely” (so easily entangles) and miss the part that says “let us also lay aside (throw off) every weight.” The Greek word ogkos means an excessive weight or anything that would hinder our movement. Runners will go to great lengths to gain an edge even down to the clothing they wear, which is why you never see a competitor on the track in baggy sweats. They strip down to the tightest fitting most aerodynamically precise outfit possible. The writer tells us this weight needs to be laid aside indicating that the things which hinder our spiritual development do not fall off by themselves like dandruff but must be dealt with intentionally. Without such intentionality, these hindrances just hang onto us and bog us down in the race of faith. What are some of these hindrances in your life? They may be very harmless, but they may have a numbing effect on your relationship with God or on your sensitivity to the needs of people around you. Maybe it is that time-consuming hobby, or that new romance, or the television watching, or the constant stream of music on the IPod, or the incessant texting, or life lived on a Social Network. It could even be studying, sports, food, shopping, or time spent worrying about the future. The Adversary of our souls is notorious for making something harmful out of harmless and ordinary things. The verse began by reminding us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who did not live out their faith “willy-nilly” but with such intentionality. You can read their testimonies in Hebrews 11 and see that they rejected the numbing effect of this world even at the cost of life itself. Let me challenge you at the start of this New Year to throw off anything that is like anesthesia to your soul, and replace it with an intentional spiritual practice that helps you keep running and makes you look at Jesus. Just a thought…

Dave McDowell
Pastor of Community Fellowship Church of West Chicago, IL

Dave has worked in ministry for several decades. He is no stranger to Christian camping, and spoke at Camp Spofford many years ago. He has celebrated his marriage to his wife Gloria for over 40 years, and has five children, one of which is our director's wife, Bethany Fiorello. Our invitation to speak during Week 7 this summer is an opportunity Dave couldn't pass up, but we're sure his three grandkids were a draw! About himself, he says, "I love to read. I also work out regularly; I help coach a high school track team and I throw the shot put and discuss in the senior Olympics and Masters level competition." We look forward to welcoming him to Camp on August 11th! You can follow his weekly blog on davemcdowell.wordpress.com.

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