BBD 12.15.04 Treadmill Living
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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12.15.04
Treadmill Living
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and
let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2.
How would you feel about running a marathon on a treadmill? Think about it.
The scenery would never change with only the digital readout revealing how
many more miles were ahead. Michael Wardian has set a world record time
running a 26.2 mile marathon on a treadmill. He beat the previous world
record by seven minutes. Wardian said about the 2 hours and almost 24
minutes of running on a treadmill that, "It's difficult just because you
always know where you are so you can't trick yourself. You just look down
and you know where you are." Christopher Farley, owner of a new running
store where the record was set said, "The monotony of a treadmill - the idea
that you have to stay balanced for almost two-and-a-half hours - is a lot
harder. It really becomes claustrophobic."
Some of us know exactly what Wardian and Farley are talking about. Why?
Because we have been running on the treadmill of life with the scenery never
changing and the years passing by. The weight of the world’s demands, and
the continued participation in habitual sin have us running in place never
moving forward in the Christian life.
The writer of the book of Hebrews urges us to lay aside “every weight”. In
training for athletic events, weights are sometimes worn to gain stamina and
to warm up for an event. The writer of Hebrews is saying that this is the
real thing, this is the race of your life, and it is time to put aside
everything that would slow you down. Lay aside the demand of the world to
buy the clothes worn by friends, or fellow employees. Lay aside the desire
to own or lease a vehicle equivalent to that of your friends. Put down the
idea that you have to live in the best neighborhood, send your kids to the
best schools, and have the best vacations. Lay aside the idea that your
husband or your wife must resemble the actors, actresses, and models, which
appear in the media. You must grab hold of the fact that you must live in
the real world where everything and everyone will not always be perfect.
The writer of Hebrews also encourages us to lay aside the “sin which so
easily ensnares us”. These are besetting sins; habitual sins, which once
they have gained a place in our lives, are difficult to overcome. These
ensnaring, besetting sins include alcohol/drug addictions, and sexual sins.
Here we see an important spiritual fact and that is that it is possible to
lay aside even these sins or we would not be told to do so. How can we lay
them aside? We must follow the instructions, which follow verse 1. We must
look to Jesus who has the power to enable us to lay aside these things. The
apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13 said, “I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me.” You too, through Christ Jesus, can do all things the
Christian life requires including the laying aside of the weight of worldly
things and ensnaring sins.
Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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