“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.” — Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
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In order for athletes to play at peak levels in their respective sports, they must eat healthy foods, work on the skill sets that relate to the sport they play, and condition their bodies to ensure they have the cardio endurance to perform at a high level. Most importantly, athletes must weight train to build muscle and to have the strength necessary to endure throughout a long season.
Just like a sports season, life will have ups and downs. It’s important that you let go of your past baggage, especially as it pertains to previous relationships, friendships, jobs, etc. If you don’t let go of the past, you will not be able to properly move forward into everything God has for you. Our enemy, the devil, wants to deter as many people as possible from pursuing a relationship with God. First Peter 5:8 reminds us to “be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Don’t allow the enemy to play tug of war with your mind — it’s the first thing the enemy attacks. If you are not careful, negative thoughts lead to negative desires of the heart, which will ultimately lead to sinful actions. Guard your heart, be strong in the Lord, and do the opposite of what the enemy is enticing you to do. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4:1-11, He counteracted Satan’s attack with scripture. We must follow Jesus’ example and train up by memorizing scripture so that we will not be ignorant to Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11, NKJV). We can’t do this without regularly reading and studying the Bible for ourselves.
There are times when God will help you reconcile a past relationship or opportunity. Other times, God will remove people and situations from your life. Either way, God is in control and nothing can occur without His authorization. We should always remember that God doesn’t make mistakes and He has a plan for all of our lives. Trust His plan and know that everything will work out in His timing. Give your past and the worries that weigh you down to God so that you can ultimately be free to be the person He desires you to be.
— Travis Wilson
(Today’s devotional was submitted by the author from “Let’s Go! Weekly Devotions for Godly Competition in the Game of Life”)
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