Wisdom's Corner
Don't Run Heavy

Again, we are talking about a race. Have you ever seen a person in a race carrying a large weight on his shoulders? Or have you ever seen a person running a race who was very fat? Or have you ever seen a person running a race wearing very baggy and loose clothing?

If you did see such a person, that person probably did not win the race. All the things mentioned above would slow the person down or would tire the person out. He would not be able to run the race to the best of his ability. Even if he was trying, he did not prepare right to win the race. He should have taken the weight off of his shoulders. Or he should have lost some weight. Or he should have put on different clothes.

When Paul lived, people entertained themselves by watching people race. The people that raced worked very hard to be prepared to win the race. They did not weigh too much. They did not have any unneeded weight to carry. And they took off the baggy clothing that most people wore in those days.

Paul says we should do the same thing in our spiritual race for heaven. Hebrews 12:1 says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

Paul is telling us to make sure there is nothing in our lives that will put too much weight on us for running the race to heaven. The only way we can know what those things are is to read the Bible. God tells us what we need to put off. He tells us how to properly prepare for the race.

Until next time, keep studying your Bible. And if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Mark McWhorter

Copyright 1998

Published by The Old Paths Bible School
(http://www.oldpaths.org)