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Years ago while working for the Navy in Norfolk, Virginia, I went on
a tour of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy. Aircraft
carriers are massive ships that dwarf almost anything around. This
ship was about 10 stories tall above the water and has about forty
feet under water when fully loaded. I was amazed to discover that it
is over one thousand feet long, longer than three football
fields. Below deck in the aircraft hangar it is completely hollow
from end to end, meaning you could have three football games and not
interfere with each other. It weighs millions of pounds when fully
loaded with all equipment, supplies and 6,000 sailors, a population
larger than many towns. Its four nuclear-powered, house-sized
propellers can push it across the ocean at speeds exceeding 40 miles
per hour! However, at full speed, it takes over four miles
to stop that ship!
The term used for the force that keeps something moving in the same
direction after it has started is the word inertia. The
word momentum is similar, meaning that it gets easier to
keep moving. As we go through life it is unavoidable that we will
collect unneeded stuff that tends to weigh us down, that
gives us unwanted momentum in the wrong direction. The result is
that we have great difficulty making needed changes in our lives. A
good example of being weighed down is when you move. Due to my
military and ministry careers we have moved 21 times! I know
firsthand the hassles of having too much stuff. When you collect
stuff that doesn’t belong in your emotional, physical, or
spiritual lives or even in your career you will find that it takes
great effort, sacrifice or even pain to make positive changes. The
Apostle Paul wrote about this problem in Hebrews 12:1 where he said,
“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.” It could be that you are so loaded down with
stuff that doesn’t belong in your life that you are having
trouble running your race. Maybe it is time to do some spiritual and
lifestyle house cleaning and carry a few loads to the dump!
Common Sense Application
1. Be honest with yourself, as only you can be,
and begin to make an assessment of everything you’ve included in
your life.
2. Write down all the negatives, the things
that don’t belong in your spiritual life or things that prevent you
from attaining your spiritual, relationship and career goals.
3. Beside each negative write down the steps
you must take to remove it or change it. Check off each step as you
complete it.
4. Pray for God to help you stick to the list
until you succeed and when you do, give Him the glory!
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