Daily Devotional
Lay Aside Every Weight

August 15, 2017

Many of us are carrying extra weight. The Bible says we are to “lay aside every weight.” When I was a young man, I used to be on the track team, and when I would run, I would get the lightest shoes, a pair of very light shorts and a sleeveless nylon shirt. Now, one thing I never did was run with an overcoat on! Nothing wrong with overcoats—they’re nice to wear in cold weather—but if you’re in a race, you lay aside every weight.

If you want to be a success in life, don’t think of just the basics and say, “Is this right or is this wrong?” Forget that. Ask yourself, “Is this a weight or is this a wing?”

Friend, never exchange wings for weights. There are some things that are not bad in and of themselves, but you just have to say, “That is not for me, not if I want to run this race. There are certain things I’m going to do without. I am to be separated from the surplus that is upon me.”