A little-known fact (that I’m a little embarrassed about) is that Pam and I have scooters.  I purchased them during COVID, complements of the second round of stimulus checks that Uncle Sam sent out.  I was pretty conflicted about it at the time.  It felt like a rather extravagant purchase during a world-wide pandemic.  But they were relatively inexpensive Chinese knockoffs that I was able to get for under $1,000 a piece.  They’re street-legal and have actually been a big help this past summer when the kids were working full time and we had two cars to divide among 4 licensed drivers.  Out of necessity, Justin would often take one to work at Shady Maple or I would use one to zip over to the church.

The real reason I bought them, though, was for joyriding.  Pam and I have gotten a lot of pleasure out of exploring the back roads and out of the way places of eastern Lancaster County.  Like out-of-town tourists, we love to tool along, stopping at covered bridges, scenic overlooks, gorgeous sunsets and of course, ice cream shops.

The scooters have tiny 50cc engines and they’re laughably underpowered.  It’s like riding a bicycle powered by an eggbeater… but even so, it’s a lot of fun.  At the slower speeds you notice more- newborn lambs, leaping foals, unique architecture, roadside flowers and yet you can still feel the wind in your face.

But you really, really, really notice the lack of power on hills.  This past weekend was so hot that Pam and I decided to take a ride up to Welsh Mountain. We were on a steep incline, and I noticed (to my dissatisfaction) that my speed was dropping like a rock as the little engine puttered along… 30, 25, 20, 15.  I thought I was going to have to get off and push!  It was about that time that Pam went cruising by me, not acknowledging what was happening, looking straight ahead but with a little smile playing at the corners of her mouth.  “That little stinker! She’s passing me!”, I thought.  I attempted to increase my speed, but to no avail. The throttle was already wide open. She was outpacing me and there was nothing I could do about it.

I was momentarily puzzled… It’s the same model scooter, bought at the same time, with the same maintenance, the same carburetor, the same gas, the same weather conditions, the same… oh, it’s the weight. That’s the only variable.  I weigh substantially more than my wife and you sure can tell it on the hills. If I want to pass her, I’ll have to either go on a crash diet or strap a concrete block to the back of her scooter.

There’s a spiritual lesson here. Hebrews 12:1 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.

When it comes to life, there are two things that can slow us down as Christians- sin and weights.  Now, I think we understand how sin messes us up.  Anytime we live our lives out of alignment with God’s design, we suffer the consequences. It’s like sand in the gears. But what might “weight” be?  … Weight are not sins, but are the unproductive, unfruitful things we allow into our lives. There’s nothing morally wrong with them but they distract us, delay us, or slow us down and keep us from being effective.  And if we’re not attentive, before you know it, we’re laboring along at 15 MPH and frustrated as we watch others zip right by us.

So where do you need to cut weight? Here are a few suggestions:

• Social media
• Screen time
• Excessive hobbies
• A preoccupation with fashion or celebrity
• Binge watching Netflix
• Binge watching college sports
• Overwork
• Unaddressed worry or anxiety
• Unproductive relationships
• Not setting proper boundaries
• Fear and insecurity
• An unresolved past
• Busyness
• __________________ <= (fill in the blank)

God wants us to thrive, but the Enemy is sneaky. If he can’t get you snared in a sin, then he’ll attempt to add weight.  There’s nothing he’d like more than to make you unproductive. So, take a minute and reflect on your life.  What’s holding you back? Where do you need to cut weight?