~ Get The LEAD Out!—A Personal
Account ~
Some
years ago while driving to work I was convicted about some areas of struggle in
my life. An acrostic came to mind (LEAD)
which I had previously developed—and then promptly forgotten for all practical
purposes.
The
relevant passage is “Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and
let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The image
that had come to mind was of lead
training weights worn around the belt of distance runners, or even more
graphically the image of lead weights worn by deep sea divers of years
past—designed to cause him to sink. My
acrostic related to the LEAD weights in my own spiritual life. At that time my acrostic stood for “Lust –
Eating – Attitudes – Driving aggressively.”
But during that drive to work my acrostic changed slightly and I also
thought about the implications of a second meaning of the word lead—to lead others in a correct path. “I discipline my
body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I
myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians
9:27).
Lust
~ The word lust is related not only
to the sexual area but to any excessive desire which is not pleasing to
God. Examples include the lust of
materialism, wealth, recognition, fame, etc.
There are many areas which call for constant vigilance since Satan, our
enemy attacks us in our most individually vulnerable areas. “Keep a cool
head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like
nothing better than to catch you napping.
Keep your guard up” (1 Peter 5:8-9, The Message). I
must keep my guard up—because I am
responsible for my own behavior.
Eating
~ Frankly stated, left to my own
desires, I can eat like a pig! I can eat simply because food is there and as
long as food is there. There might be
something in my past which causes my wrong attitudes to food. I must keep my guard up—because I am responsible for my own behavior.
Attitudes
~ This is an all encompassing
area. Some specific attitudes I continually
work on include: eating, work
(including use of time and thoughts towards some coworkers, etc.), as well as quick
judgment of others that I come in
contact with. I must keep my
guard up—because I am responsible for my
own behavior.
Driving
~ A life-long habit of competitive and sometimes aggressive driving needs continual
attention. I must keep my guard
up—because I am responsible for my own
behavior.
By God’s
grace and with His help I will continue to focus on these four areas and
constantly improve my behavior to become a more pleasing vessel for God.
practical application ~ The more I am able to cast off the lead
as I run the spiritual race, the more fit I will be to lead others both
in both spiritual and non-spiritual areas.
The
Apostle Paul said, “You’ve all been to the stadium
and seen the athletes race. Everyone
runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes
and fades. You’re after one that’s gold
eternally. I don’t know about you, but
I’m running hard for the finish line.
I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling
everyone else all about it and then missing out myself” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, The Message).
reflect upon
this ~ “A man without
self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls” (Proverbs 25:28, TLB).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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