Day 318

Ezekiel 29:1–30:26; Hebrews 11:32–12:13; Psalm 112:1-10; Proverbs 27:17

DO YOU NEED to lose a little weight? It’s an audacious question that isn’t really anyone’s business, right? However, carrying around extra pounds puts stress on our physical systems that ultimately lead to problems if unchecked. We all know this, but have you ever considered this from a spiritual perspective? Are we growing lethargic and a bit flabby in our faith?

Today in our reading from Hebrews, we were told how to lose that weight. But before we got to that, we finished walking down the Hall of Faith that we’ve been reviewing for the last couple of days. The writer didn’t tie everything with a nice bow, though. The point of the long list of biblical examples wasn’t to communicate the assurance of a struggle-free life, of effortless victory for the one who has faith. Quite the contrary: Those people faced all manner of opposition and suffering along the way. It was their faith that propelled them forward, even if it meant their own physical deaths. Through faith, they had seen the promise of God in front of them and remained steadfast, regardless of the human suffering it may have brought.

It was in summing all of this up that the writer of Hebrews instructed us, in a very familiar passage, on how to lose the extra weight:

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. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

When our faith gets flabby and out of shape, we have a spiritual problem to deal with. If we don’t deal with it, we’re going to get spiritually sick, in the same way our bodies will deteriorate if not cared for. As we’ve seen abundantly in Hebrews, a strong faith can endure anything and can accomplish the impossible. With that in mind, we are to “strip off every weight that slows us down.” In other words, anything that interferes with our faith is excess baggage, and sin is the junk food we keep feeding ourselves.

We may have some weight to lose.

Rather than living in an unhealthy situation spiritually, we are to get off our couches and train our faith, running with endurance the race God has set before us. According to Hebrews, we do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

To enter a more healthy story —whether physically or spiritually —we need something that will continue showing up everywhere as we move through these last two months of the year in the New Testament: endurance.

To lose the weight spiritually, we will have to build up endurance so that we can run the race set before us. We will have to consider all of the things that are slowing us down and examine the ways we must change. Otherwise, our condition will only worsen. We must endure these necessary changes so that our faith is strengthened and sin is defeated. Our weakness is “turned to strength” through faith (Hebrews 11:34).

We won’t get anywhere without faith and endurance. This is why Hebrews walked us down the Hall of Faith. Contemplate this today as you invite the Holy Spirit to guide your next set of decisions.

MEDITATION:

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.