Lightening the Load
by Tanya Person
When my husband and I moved to Hungary over eighteen years ago, we thought we were going for just one or two years, so we put a lot of items in storage. When God showed us that we were to stay longer, every time we visited Alaska, we would get rid of more stuff, until we just had one cargo trailer full of stuff left.
This past month we finally got back to Alaska to sort through the rest of the items. As we threw things away, gave things away, and sold a few things, it was such a good feeling! It reminded me of our scripture for today, which says, to ‘strip off every weight that holds us down.’ We often don’t realise what we are holding on to which weighs us down. It can be possessions or ungodly habits or behaviours. We get very comfortable holding on to them. It can seem easier to just leave them alone rather than to address them and get rid of things. However, as we begin to face things with God and get rid of the unnecessary things, we start to realise how much it was really weighing us down and how much freer we feel when we have released these things.
I encourage you today to ask the Holy Spirit to help you look at your life and that He would reveal anything that is weighing you down. The following prayer could be a start of this conversation with God.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please show me anything that I have in my life that is weighing me down and keeping me from running my race to the best of my ability. I choose to release these things as You reveal them to me. Amen.
Tanya Person Tanya and her husband, Jim, were missionaries to Hungary for over 18 years. They have worked with Ellel since 2005. After serving in various positions with Ellel in Central and Eastern Europe, God led them back to the United States, where they are now serving with the Ellel USA team. They have a passion to see leaders restored, the church discipled and walking in God’s fullness of life and freedom, and for mentoring the existing and developing team. Tanya also enjoys crocheting and knitting in her free time and has written some children’s picture books.
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