Shedding unnecessary things…
Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.
Hebrews 12:1 Living Bible
You have the power to strip away many superfluous troubles located wholly in your judgment.
Marcus Aurelius
I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
Proverbs 4:11-12 NIV
All the photos for today are from one single hike; a May adventure in Yosemite. Note the change in layers!
Spiritually, changes can also be hard, sometimes even involving laziness or involving the sin of pride. Perhaps we have helped to found and grow a specific ministry and are so proud and protective of it that the sin of pride gets in the way of entrusting both God and others with the ministry, even when it’s clear that it’s time to let go. Occasionally, God is calling us to go to a new church or community group, but we are so comfortable where we are at that we aren’t willing to look at other options. Other times we get caught in sinful choices such as neglecting our relationship with God or spouse by expending excessive time on hobbies, social media, or other distractions.
When I’m hiking, I like to start out early in the morning. It may be cold or very cool at that time, but then I warm up quickly, both due to generating body heat from movement and from the sun warming both my body and the air. That’s why dressing in layers is so helpful; it makes it easier to shed things that are no longer necessary. In fact, if I get lazy and don’t take off a layer quick enough, I find myself getting overheated and irritable…slowed down by things that I don’t need and that actually hamper my progress.
In life, we can also allow things that we no longer need to impede our moving forward. Sometimes we have outgrown a job, but it’s a familiar routine and we don’t want to make the effort involved in searching for and attaining a new job. It may be that our family has outgrown a current house or even a community so it’s time to move. Perhaps the schools or job possibilities are not ideal for our young adult children. As we grow older, perhaps a larger home is too much to care for. All these things require us to expend some effort in order to embrace change and live our best life.
No matter whether it’s a logistical matter, or one of the heart, sometimes it is absolutely best to shed ourselves of things in our lives that are no longer needed or things that can truly be harmful. Today, ask yourself, is there anything in my life that I should let go in order to continue growing. Then be brave and move forward!
