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.
Like me, if you attend church you have most likely heard this verse preached on multiple times. The idea of running the race, persevering, and staying the course are always much needed teaching points. But it was just recently that God opened my eyes to the word "hinders." As a believer throwing off sin is expected and not an unusual expectation, so I never felt the need to go back and separate out what this scripture is really telling me to do. When I've read this verse I've always just lumped in everything that hinders with that nasty entangling sin.
However, just last week I heard a strange and new notion that not everything good is of God. Growing up learning that God is good, and trusting that He is perfect, and everything He is doing in my life is good, I have always assumed the reverse to be true. BUT, (and that's a big 'but') we are asked to do only what helps us further God's plan. Looking at Jesus' life as a perfect model for my own, I see that He only wanted to do what He saw the Father doing John 5:19. In the Bible study where I first heard this idea, it was pointed out that there were plenty of good things Jesus chose not to do because He knew it was not part of the plan God had laid out. After hearing this I now see the distinction in Hebrews quite clearly. Throw off sin (duh!) and everything else that is hindering you from fulfilling God's plan. I see now why Paul put that in there; when I started examining my own life there are plenty of things I am doing that are not evil sin, and in most respects would be considered harmless. But in light of God's will and plan for me, some things I am putting my time and energy towards are really quite useless, and ultimately are distracting me from spending time with God and following His plan for me. I'm seeing now that it is harder to throw off a hindrance simply because it is harder to recognize those things that hinder vs. all out sin (which is easier to recognize maybe, but just as difficult to throw off sometimes). So, I'm praying for clarity and strength to rid my life of everything that is hindering my walk with God.
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