Losing Weight – Greg Laurie Devotion – March 16, 2026

Biblical Context

The Book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were facing hard times. Many were thinking about going back to their old Jewish ways because of the pressure and trouble they were going through for following Jesus. The author of Hebrews—whose identity we don’t know for sure, though many believe it was Paul—wrote to tell them that Jesus is better than anything they might be tempted to go back to. It’s a powerful letter that pushes us to stick with our faith and keep our eyes on Jesus, no matter what.

Key Word Study

Let’s look at the word “weight” from Hebrews 12:1. The Greek word here is onkos (ὄγκος). It doesn’t mean something bad or evil in itself. Think of it like an athlete getting ready to run a race. That athlete would take off any extra clothes, jewelry, or even body fat that isn’t helping them run their best. These things aren’t sins, but they are weights that slow you down. In our spiritual race, these “weights” are things that add bulk to our lives and make us heavy, making it harder to move forward with God. They might not be sinful, but they still keep us from running our race with all the speed and freedom God wants for us.

Running the Race, Traveling Light

It’s easy to feel far from God sometimes, isn’t it? If you’ve been there, you’re not alone. Every single believer, even the greatest heroes of faith we read about in the Bible, feels it at some point. Jesus Himself, in His deepest agony, cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 nlt). This week, we’re going to dive into how we can close that distance. We’ll start by checking out the personal baggage we carry, the stuff that keeps us from hitting our God-given potential and having the close walk with Him He truly wants.

I’ll be honest, I’m the kind of person who likes to drag a lot of stuff with me when I travel. It’s not like I’m new to traveling—I’ve traveled all over the world for many years. Yet, I still overpack. You’d think I’d have learned by now! But no, I still want to drag along almost everything I own, even though I know that extra baggage makes traveling more hassled, more complicated, and definitely more expensive.

It’s the same way when we’re running the race of life; we really need to travel light. Often, we tend to drag along a lot of extra weight. The author of Hebrews knew this well when he wrote, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 nlt).

Sin and Other Weights

Sin is sin, and it will always trip us up and cause us to fall. There’s no way around that. But the Bible also talks about other “weights” in our lives. These aren’t necessarily sins, but they still trouble us, slow us down, and get in the way of our spiritual growth. What kind of weights are we talking about? They might be certain habits, things we prioritize wrongly, or even seemingly harmless distractions. The tricky part is, they often weigh us down without us even knowing it.

Is It a Wing or a Weight?

That’s why I make it a point to regularly take stock of my life as a Christian. I look at how I’m spending my time. I ask myself questions like these: “Is it a wing or a weight? Is it speeding me on my way spiritually, or is it slowing me down? Is it increasing my spiritual appetite, or is it dulling it?” These questions cut to the chase and help me see what’s really helping me move forward with God.

It’s easy for us to get busy doing a lot of things that aren’t truly that important. They just seem important at the time. We really need to ask ourselves if we need to do those things. Are they slowing us down? Are they keeping us from running the race God has given us?

Think about it for a moment: what are some things that might be slowing you down spiritually? Are you spending too much time on social media, binge-watching shows, chasing after things that don’t last, or letting worry take over? Lay aside that weight and the sin that gets in your way. You’ll see how much the Christian life changes for you. You’ll feel lighter, freer, and closer to God than you’ve been in a long time.