Busting Out

Some time while I was in college, basketball players started wearing warrm up britches that had buttons that went down the side where the seam would normally be.  After running around the floor doing layups and shooting different shots, they would get ready for the game by reaching down on the outside of their hips, grabbing their buttoned seams and with one sweet swoop 'rip' their pants off magically.  Of course they had their playing shorts on under it and now they were ready to really play.  When I played basketball in high school, we did not have such a thing.  The high school team had some shiny, pretty pants that came unzipped at the bottom cuff, which made it easier to get over the hightop shoe, but no glorious buttons.  I played church ball.  I had regular ole, gather-at-the-bottom fleece pants that I was excited about because they came in the same color as my jersey.  After I stopped playing organized ball, the cool pants came out.  Once again a fad I was not able to get in on.

I thought about buying me some of those pants several times.  I have wanted to use them for the very passage that I read this morning.    Can you imagine me reading Heb. 12:1-2a- Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus... and then following that up with a talk about how sin clings like those pants but through the power of Jesus we can bust out.   Then in my holy imagination I would reach down, grab the outside seams, and rip out of those fancy, cool britches.  I have often thought about the masses that would flood the aisles due to my intuition and creative ability to grab their sinful attention and lead them to purity.

That is unless....

There is a wardrobe malfunction.  I want to do nothing to bring shame to my Lord and ripping out my britches may do just that, if it all does not go well.   When I was 170 lbs. in college, ripping out would have been cool.  When you are (let's just say over 190 lbs.), ripping out of your britches is not near as fun and does not go near as well.

So let me just say, rip away from the sin that slows you in your run for the Lord and let nothing come in your way.  Quit looking at everyone else and fix your eyes on Jesus, your goal and the finisher of your faith.  If I don't see you before, I will meet you at the finish line!