Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2a:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith . . .”
The race set before us is more a marathon than it is a sprint. It is a long course, where perseverance on the trek is necessary. We never arrive quickly. And we won’t arrive, lest we throw off our excess baggage.
There comes a time when it is necessary to put off the seven deadly sins of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. These things rob us of our free spiritedness and weigh down our souls. We are never really free so long as we carry these sins inside us. They make our hearts heavy, and keeping us from reaching the place of our full potential as persons. In other words, they keep us from being fully alive persons.
A prescription for this morning is for us to examine ourselves, to think on each of the seven deadly sins and to reflect on how they are present in our lives and keep us from becoming who we want to be — who God wants us to be.
The writer of Hebrews says, “let us throw off the weight, and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” Life is a long haul. Perfection is a marathon — an ultra marathon. We don’t get there in a matter of seconds — or even, usually, years. It takes a long time to learn to flourish. Getting there will require us to let go of even more.
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