We do games with our older elementary kids in our AWANA club each week. This past week, one of the games
we did with the kids was a favorite of theirs…tug of war! We decided to split the kids up with guys on one side
and girls on the other. I was concerned that the girls would really be swept away in this. We started the first
match and there wasn’t much movement and then all of a sudden, I saw the boys all being pulled forward by our
girls’ team! The girls dragged the guys across the playground. The crazy thing was that the boys wouldn’t let
go. A number of them fell down on the ground…but they just wouldn’t let go of that rope! They had the same
number of kids on each side and there were some older girls with the young ladies…but the boys never had a
chance. So, we added an extra young man to the boys side…and in the next match…the same thing happened.
I watched as the boys eventually fell on the ground and were dragged beyond the mid-point. The girls were
seemingly unstoppable so we added one more grown up to the boys’ side…and the girls still won…with boys
being dragged across the center line because they wouldn’t let go! I thought about what I saw there, and I
remembered what the Bible said about letting go. It describes the Christian life as a race, and it say that we
need to let go of everything that slows us down in that race of life. And the biggest thing we need to let go of is
our sin! I thought about how those guys just wouldn’t let go and ended up being dragged someplace where they
didn’t want to go. And that’s pretty much what our sin will do to us too. Usually, the encouragement is to not
give up or let go…but when it comes to our sin…let loose and let it go. Don’t let your sin or unhealthy habits
drag you places you don’t want to be. You don’t have to hold on to sin…as a matter of fact you want to turn
loose of that. So, each day prepare for the race that you’ll be in by letting go of anything that could drag you
away from God. And remember that there is a whole crowd of witnesses that are cheering you on and want you
to come out victorious!
Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Hebrews 12:1 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Remember I’m praying for you…
With love, Pastor Joe
Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Hebrews 12:1 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Remember I’m praying for you…
With love, Pastor Joe