Not long into our hike, we saw remnants of the unnecessary: discarded clothing, extra shoes, cola products, games, small coolers, blankets, and even snacks and candy. We instructed them the night before to not take unnecessary things. We were to hike one mile and camp for one night. What do 8-year-olds understand about “essential”? Apparently, nothing.
The boys started ahead of us toward the campsite. Another leader and I walked behind them, and by the time we reached the camp, we were loaded almost beyond our ability to carry the weight of what they left behind. All of them made it successfully, but not until they first discarded the unnecessary.
In the same way, we cannot successfully follow Jesus until we, too, drop the non-essentials and follow Christ (Luke 14:25-33). To finish our race well, we must dispose of anything that impedes our worship, our giving, our availability to Christ, our submission and obedience to Him.
However, too many (like 8-year-olds) embrace the unnecessary, trading the best for what is non-essential and unimportant. Some settle down along the trail rather than drop the unnecessary things in order to reach a mountaintop of courageous Christian witness and living.
We can live for Christ successfully, but not until we first drop the encumbering, unnecessary things. The Scripture says, “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). Many of the things we do are not wrong or sinful, but perhaps they are unnecessary weights that render us incapable of being all we can be for Christ.
Pastors, I pray for you and hope to see you at the South Carolina Baptist Pastors’ Conference in November.
— Mike Runion is pastor of City View First Baptist Church in Greenville and vice president of the 2015 South Carolina Baptist Pastors’ Conference.