Day three: Peel away
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
1 Cor. 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable weather, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Eph. 4:22-23 Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Once, a man was asked, “What did you gain by regularly praying to God?” The man replied, “let me tell you what I lost: anger, ego, greed, depression, insecurity, and fear.” Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is not gaining but losing, which ultimately is the gain.
In the rush and busyness of life, we often become so distracted from the fact that many of the things we are involved in are actually weighing us down - emotionally, physically, spiritually. There are so many days when I don’t even realize how tense I am until I take a deep breath. The relief I feel after is shocking and telling! When we are talking about “peeling away”, what I’m referring to is the act of letting go…and not just erratically throwing off every single obligation, but rather through discipline and awareness shedding off that which distracts us from our ultimate goal. This peeling away takes action. It takes awareness. It takes a momentary shift of focus. Sometimes it can be hard…the thing weighing us down can be heavy…more than simply taking a breath. It can feel impossible. That’s why yesterday we talked about remembering…because when we remember WHO has done the work for us…the act of peeling away suddenly becomes doable, because we are not doing it in our own power. But with the power of the one who quite literally defeated death.
Whatever you’re needing to peel away in this season - maybe it’s a lie you’re believing about yourself or your family, maybe it’s a habit, maybe it’s a toxic relationship…maybe it’s social media (LORD HELPUS!) whatever it is…what steps can you take today to take action? It starts with pausing, then remembering, and then asking Him to help you throw it off. He’s so ready to help you run the race! And the best part? In peeling away, we gain! In peeling away, we ultimately find breakthrough .
Today, I will trust Him enough to let go of that thing I think I need to be holding on to. I believe that in the act of peeling away, I gain. My next breakthrough is on the other side of surrendering. In this act of surrender, I realize that freedom is actually supposed to feel weightless. Lord would you break me free? As we take time to recognize what we need to peel away, let’s breathe. Inhale through your nose and fill your lungs with air, expand your ribcage and relax. Exhale up and out through pursed lips as you draw everything in towards that imaginary center column. Continue this cycle as you meditate on the words of this song.
