Renewing Our Strength #2

Early in the morning a couple of days ago, I went out to my car to get something I needed. It was rather cool that morning, so I started to run back to the house.  After a few weeks of being sick, I thought to myself: "I'm not sure this could be classified as running."  In Hebrews 12, the writer presents this picture of running the race of faith as a marathon event:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 

As we run this race we are looking to the forerunner, the pacesetter, Christ. Look at Him. First of all, He carried our sin, so we do not need to carry it; we need to confess and forsake it.  Life has enough burdens of its own; we don't want to carry more needlessly. But there are other weights we carry needlessly. Note that he refers to weight, and sin - they are two separate issues. What worries and even responsibilities have I taken on myself, that God wants to carry and have others accept?  God calls on us to hand these over to Christ, Who is seated at the right hand of the Father.  As we consider "renewing our strength", not only physically, but even more so, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, the first thing we need to ask is: "What am I trying to carry needlessly? I don't have the strength to carry it, and God doesn't want me to anyway."