“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When I was a child, we used to have a sports day, where towards the end of the year, one school day, the teachers would set aside for competitions. It would be filled with physical activities to test each child’s capabilities, and eventually, the headmaster would reward the “fittest” child. Two races spring to my memory; the three-legged race, two children would be tied together at the ankle and the knee, and they would have to work together in coordination to run the distance faster than their peers. In this event, who you were partnered with was your key to success. If you had someone slow, uncoordinated or not determined, you would most certainly lose. However, if you were yolked with someone equally determined and focused, you would most certainly win. The second event is the egg and spoon race. Each child would have a spoon with an egg sitting inside of it. The goal would be to complete the race as fast as possible without dropping the egg. This was a relatively straightforward race until obstacles became involved, where at this moment, the egg and spoon would become a real hindrance to quickly completing the race.

In today’s scripture, the author of the letter of the Hebrews describes the walk with Jesus as a race. Considering this analogy, we can understand that the author instructs us to “lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us.”. If we stop and consider the races, I just mentioned you could consider the church as your partner in the three-legged race. Does the church you have attached help you run towards Jesus? Is the focus on completing the race, working together to achieve the common goal, keeping our eyes on the saviour and not focusing on the world around us? Or is your church fat, idle, spoilt in the luxuries and gluttony of the world, constantly being distracted by whatever flashes into the corner of their eye? You can then consider the sin you choose to carry in your life as your egg and spoon. If you decide to keep evil in your life, you are choosing to struggle in the task of completing a race, ESPECIALLY when formidable obstacles come up. This is why the author tells us to discard sin and remove from you the things that slow you down. You must focus on Jesus and Jesus only. Stop trying to save an egg! The egg will not join you in heaven, the place where only perfection and holiness reside.

Do you understand now? Stop focusing on keeping the things in your life that will not be there in the presence of God. The focus of attaching to churches that bring you comfort in this world does not get you salvation. The focus of maintaining an egg which is a terrible habit or sin in your life, will not be there in heaven. Cast away all of the things that prevent you from entering eternal salvation and getting to live in the new Zion, the place where the lion, lamb and baby all play together. Where death and illness no longer exist, we all get to be filled with the joy of the Lord.