Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 1 Corinthians 9:24
My grandparents were fluent in Eastern North Carolina vernacular. There was a phrase that I can still hear my Granddaddy and Grandma say, “Get shed of it,” which translated means, “Get rid of it.” You’ve heard the phrase “shed the pounds” etc. It just means to cast something away, or throw something away you don’t need.
Mike and Jill Hatfield are so very proud of their daughter Maddie, who has become one of the fastest female runners in her age group in the state of Texas. Mike and I served together in the Marines and we’ve managed to stay close throughout the years. I’ve followed Maddie from a distance and I’m always amazed and thrilled to see how well she’s excelled in school and running. Keep that name in mind, because you may hear more about Maddie in the years to come as a future Olympian. And, if there’s one thing Maddie knows as a runner, is that she has to “keep it light.” Only the lightest weight shirt, shorts and of course shoes will do, and not to mention a light stomach. No runner wants anything weighing him or her down in the big race.
The writer of Hebrews tells us the same thing in chapter twelve verse one; “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…” Our adversary wants to weigh us down with anything and everything imaginable to keep us from running the race God has for us. Whether its fear, insecurities, guilt, depression, a bad habit, a toxic relationship, or whatever, they’re all designed to weigh us down and keep us from running our race.
So how do we “get shed of it?” It first starts with honesty. We have to first be honest with ourselves and acknowledge what the “weight,” or “weights” are. Then, we turn to our loving Heavenly Father and receive from Him the grace that we need to “let it go.” Once released from that old baggage and those weights, we’ll feel lighter than air and will instantly notice we’re running at a new pace.
As we hear so often, “life is short” and “we’ve only got one life to live.” Why go through this one shot at life weighed down. Ask God today to help you throw off any and everything that would weigh you down. With His help you can do it. All of Heaven is cheering you on, so go ahead and “Get shed of it” so you can run, run, run!