Imagine that you are hanging from the edge of a cliff with a drop of twenty thousand feet. The only thing between you and an fall to your death is a rope, with the person of your choice on the other end. Who do you know that has the guts to pull you to safety? Who do you know that is going to let that rope burn their hand and not let go?

For whom are you holding the rope? For whom are you putting your life on the line? Who are you lifting up? For whom are you going to withstand the burning pain and watch the blood drip from your hands?

HOLD THE ROPE! Like the four men in Mark 2 who refused to let a crowd stand in their way, making a hole in a roof and using ropes to get their paralyzed friend close to Jesus’ healing hands.

HOLD THE ROPE! Like the unnamed disciples who held the rope for Saul’s basket to reach freedom beyond the walls of Damascus, not knowing the incredible impact the new Christ follower would have on the world (Acts 9:23-25).

HOLD THE ROPE! Like the repentant prostitute risking her life to liberate Israeli spies down a rope from her window in the wall of Jericho. (Joshua 2:15)

HOLD THE ROPE! Like the Israelis who released Jeremiah, pulling “him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern.” (Jeremiah 38:13).

Who is holding your rope? And whom are you holding the rope for?

Strip down, start running—and never quit!

Hebrews 12:1 – The Message

Imagine an elite track athlete lined up to race wearing gear like she is about to go snow skiing down a black diamond slope.  Her outfit is complete with numerous layers, massive ski boots, a cumbersome parka, and a heavy ski mask with goggles. That wouldn’t make any sense would it? A runner wants every competitive advantage he can get. And he will strip down to the bare minimum to get it.

Each of us have a little bit of that elite runner in us. We do the same thing when we step on the scale at home or at the doctor’s office. Trying to get every advantage we empty our pockets, remove our belt, take off our shoes, and strip off every layer of clothing we can.

That is the point the writer of Hebrews is making. In order to run our race well, we need to strip it down. It is imperative we let go of the heaviness that bogs us down, trips us up, and impedes our progress.

Early into this new year I encourage you to take an inventory. Take a break from this race we call life and meditate on the things that are keeping you from running at your best. Perhaps it’s the weightiness of a past you need to leave behind? Maybe a hurt you have refused to let go of? Or a habit that needs to be dropped? By chance it’s a schedule that needs to be paired down? Or a relationship that has turned toxic?

Take time to inventory what’s holding you back and strip it down.

This past Sunday I used the priority jar illustration as part of the sermon. You’ve probably seen it before. I pulled out a large jar and set it on a table in front of everyone. I poured a cup of small gravel into the a large jar. Then a cup full of medium size rocks. Finally I placed three larger rocks in the jar. And the lid on the jar wouldn’t shut. So I took out the large rocks, removed the medium size rocks and poured out the small gravel. I started over but this time I put the larger rocks in first followed by the medium size rocks and then poured the gravel into the jar. And guess what? The lid shut.

Of course, this illustrates priorities in our lives with the time we are given. The larger rocks are the truly important things such as faith and family. If all else was lost and only the larger rocks remained, your life would still be meaningful. The medium sized rocks are the other things in your life that matter such as work or school. And the pebbles signify the small stuff such as material possessions.

If we put the small pebbles in the jar first, there is no room for larger rocks. If we spend all our time and energy on the small stuff, we will never have room for the things that are truly important. But if we start with the larger rocks, there is room for everything. The challenge is to determine the big rocks in your life.

Jesus said it this way:

So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdomand the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Matthew 6:33 (The Passion Translation)

Funny thing happened Sunday. Between each of the services I moved the jar and the rocks into the green room to get re-organized and ready to show the illustration again in the next service. During one of the services, as I was setting up the illustration, I realized I had accidentally left the large rocks lying in the green room. Illustration complete!

Perhaps you’ve seen the movie The Bucket List.  It tells the story of two terminally ill men (played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) who escape from the room they share in the cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a list of all the things they would like to do before they die (or before they “kick the bucket”).  The things on the list range from great adventures to sincere reconciliation.  In the process, both of them become unlikely friends, heal each other, and feel content with all they have achieved.

Or consider the real life story of 55-year-old John C. Hughes from Butte, Montana. Hughes is a man who is pursuing his bucket list with a vengeance. Hughes’ bucket story begins with him innocently following a police car for a few residential blocks. Then, without warning, he put the petal to the metal, flew by the officer, and headed for the highway. The officer who pursued after him said Hughes reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour before his vehicle was brought to a stop four miles down the highway. After his arrest, Hughes shared the reason he had risked his life was that he had “always wanted to be a part of a police chase.”

What’s on your list? I certainly hope you don’t have a terminal illness or that you are not planning on doing anything illegal, but we should all have a bucket list. None of us ever really know when we are going to “kick the bucket.” All we know is that we definitely will. No matter what age we are or how our physical state stands, maybe we should all be living as if we only have a short time to live.  How would our lives differ if that were the case?

The question is not whether we should have a list but what should be on the list. So, what’s on your list?

But let me say this…the time that remains is very short…1 Corinthians 7:29 (NLT)