“And yes, ‘throwing off’ implies something is on you. You can only know that something’s on you if you feel it, experience it, or see its effects. The challenge is to identify these things in your life that are weighing you down and take action so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”- Kyle Idleman
“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.”- Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
In his Introduction to Section 2 (“Throw Off the Weight”) of Don’t Give Up, Kyle Idleman states that the phrase translated as ‘throw off’ originates from a Greek compound word. It means to lay something down and push it beyond reach. Hence, the writer of Hebrews tells worn out people ready to give up to identify their burden, set it down, then kick it away.
Furthermore, Pastor Idleman observes, the writer of Hebrews issues a direct charge, not a mild suggestion, to use your strength. Also, depending on the situation, that strength may involve your muscles, emotions, or will. In addition, Kyle believes, Hebrews provides two different categories to illustrate how our entanglements cause us to quit:
- Everything that hinders
- The sin that entangles
While it sounds like the author defines what hinders us as the sin that entangles, Kyle argues that the author is moving from general to specific. For example, Greek runners trained with leg weights. However, they cast those weights aside before they actually ran their race. As a result, their legs felt lighter, freer, and stronger.
Finally, Kyle observes, most of us struggle with carrying some type of dead weight. Do it long enough, and you’ll reach the point where you can’t keep going. You might give up. Therefore, you need to know what to lose – and how to lose it.
Today’s question: What Scriptures assist you in throwing off things weighing you down? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Countless side effects to anxiety”
