Every competitive athlete is looking for an edge: a way to get faster—shave seconds off his/her time, get stronger, or jump higher. We know our performance depends on it.

In training, athletes often wear a weighted vest as they go through their drills, helping them push beyond their normal limits. The additional stress to their body in a controlled environment prepares them for the intense demands of competition. When the vest comes off, these athletes feel invincible. They are faster, stronger, and more agile. It is like a prisoner has been freed.

But if I told an athlete to wear a 40-pound vest in a game, he/she would think I was crazy. There would be no way to perform at one’s best and virtually no chance to win. The athlete would be slower, become fatigued early, and be more susceptible to injury. The additional weight would destroy a performance.

Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us.” Sin is heavy. It is the spiritual equivalent of wearing a weighted vest into competition. It wears us out so that we are unable to finish the race with endurance, making us far less effective in carrying out our mission.

When we confess our sins to God, we are set free! We feel clean, courageous, confident, and invincible. A clean heart that has been forgiven lifts us up! It is time to drop the weight!