You.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Hebrews twelve, verse one the goal was a green, thriving plant. The gardener read everything he could about caring for plants. He took classes at the local nursery. He purchased the finest plant food available, made certain the plant had the right amount of sunshine, shade, and water. He kept the plant bug free. In short, he did everything he had been taught and everything he knew how to do, and he did everything right. Still, the plant didn't grow. Despite the reading, study, research, care, and effort of the gardener, the plant just wasn't healthy. In fact, it was downright sickly. Most of the neighbors thought the gardener was at fault. They assumed he was doing something wrong. But the problem wasn't with the gardener or with the plant itself. The fault actually lay in the old watering can used to water the plant. The gardener had purchased the watering can from a neighbor at a yard sale. Unknown by the gardener, the neighbor had used the old can to dispense weed and grass killer on his driveway. Even though the can had been rinsed repeatedly, weed killer residue remained in the cracks and crevices of the old can. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make the plant sick when the can was used to water its roots. We should learn a lesson from this story. We can't develop healthy spiritual lives when we use water in cans that contain poison residue. Hoping to get godpleasing results in our lives while holding on to ungodly attitudes, habits, behavior, and ideas is not just counterproductive, it is a guarantee for spiritual sickness and death. Just like trying to nourish a plant by using a watering can laced with weed killer. No wonder the writer of Hebrews encourages us to get rid of everything and anything that hinders us from running well. The race God has marked out for us. Our relationship with him and our spiritual health will suffer as long as we hold on to things that hold us back.

This has been your thought for the day with Steve Burkham, pastor of Community Christian Church in Stockton, California. If you have questions or comments for Pastor Steve, please send them to [email protected]. Have a great day, and we hope you'll join us tomorrow as pastor Steve opens God's word to bring us another thought for the day.