Hebrews 12

The whole of Hebrews 12 is so good. Especially when you read from the Message version of the New Testament. I know, I know. Some of you might not like that translation but it is so easy to read and it is in our everyday language that we use today. I read the first part of Hebrews 12 last night and it meant so much more to me now, that I have seen what things like discontentedness can do. In the message it says "strip down, start running and never quit! No extra spiritual fat or parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we are in." Parasitic sins? Who has some of those. I know I do. It sometimes feels like they are stuck to me with Gorilla Glue and I can't get them off.

I was having serious problems with discontentedness. It was causing discord in my family and in my own life with Christ. God was so faithful to reveal this to me one day while I was working through something with my husband. Here's how it goes....Discontentedness breeds bitterness and bitterness breeds contempt and contempt breeds conflict. Any of those things sound like something true or lovely or anything that God says that we are supposed to think about? No way! It made havoc with my life. BUT GOD.... oh I love those to words... in all of His amazing faithfulness, revealed what that parasitic sin was in my life. He shined His light on it and made it shrivel up just like the wicked witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Sorry for that analogy but I could not think of a better one.His light broke me free and ever since that day I feel lighter and more peaceful. More able to run the race that Jesus ran for all of us. He ran it and did it perfectly. Now, I know we are not perfect but I so strive to run that race free of those things that have tried to weigh me down. Those parasitic sins that just breed more sin and then render you useless. Think about that. If the enemy can weigh you down, you can't run and if you cannot run, you cannot do the amazing things that God Himself has called you to do. I love it when His light hits me and reveals those things that try to weigh me down. When we can see them it makes it soooooooo much easier to flick them off and keep running.

See you at the finish line!