Weekend Words

Recently I read these messages about travelling light.  From different perspectives...

From Our Daily Bread...

 Walking With Jesus - Read Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." - Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Lean food rations, waterproof boots, and a map are some of the essentials carried by hikers on the John Muir Trail.  The John Muir trail is a 211-mile path in the western United States that winds across creeks, around lakes and woods, and up and over mountains, encompassing 47,000 feet of elevation gain.  Because traversing this trail takes about three weeks, carrying the right amount of supplies is critical.  Too much and you will run out of strength to carry it all; too little and you won't have what you need for the journey.

Finishing well on our journey as believers in Jesus also requires careful consideration of what we bring.  In Hebrews 12, we're told to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles."  The author compares our lives to a "race marked out for us," one in which we must "not grow weary and lose heart" (vv. 1, 3).  To become overburdened with sin or distracted by things outside of God's purpose for us is to carry an unnecessary weight.

Just as their are packing lists for the John Muir Trail, God has provided directions for following Jesus in the Bible.  We can know what habits, dreams, and desires are worth bringing along by examining them in light of the Scriptures.  When we travel light, we're able to finish well.

From Letters from Ruth's Attic...

Traveling Light

"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." - Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

The Christian life is like climbing a mountain.  For some people the climb is a gently sloping ascent; for other people the climb is like attacking the north face of the Eiger.

Christina Rossetti wrote;

"Does the road wind uphill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.

Will the day's journey take the whole long day?

From morn to night, my friend."

Whether our climb is easy of difficult, we need to be in shape spiritually to travel light.

To be in shape spiritually, we need spiritual nourishment and exercise.  We need to spend less time reading about the bible and spend more time studying the Bible.  Then we need to apply what we learn - carefully and vigorously - to our lives, to live out daily what we have taken in.

To travel light, we need to lighten our loads.  Some of us may need to trim off excess weight.  Others of us have too many social involvements and too many meetings to attend.  (Remember the caution: "Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.")

When the disciples were sent out two by two, they traveled light - "without money bag, knapsack, and sandals" (Luke 22:35, NKJV).

Times change, situations vary, and God's orders to His followers are individualized.  But the need and the message continue the same - and the goal.  It's up to us to be in shape to travel light.

Father, please reveal the things that prevent me from fully obeying Your call.  Thank You for guiding me as I drop these 'weights' from my life. Amen