"Wherefore seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us." Heb. 12:1

The witnesses here are the dead O.T. saints, mentioned in the previous chapter, who not only lived by faith, but many of whom also died as heroes for their faith. How can we, centuries later, follow their example of living by faith? First, we must learn to travel light as runners in a race. Business men who are frequent flyers learn quickly to travel light. We too must lay aside every encumbrance or sin weighing us down, hindering us from competing in or completing our God-designed race. Second, our race is a marathon, not a sprint, so patient endurance will enable us to finish well. Remember, even a good thing can be a sin if it hinders our running or causes us to quit the race.