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“Don't let yesterday use up too much of today”
Cherokee

(excerpted from Native American Devotion)

by Ky M. Bishop

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NASU)

The experiences that make up yesterday can sometimes be so all consuming that we forget about living today. We can often be so consumed with the past, that the present slips into the past without ever having the chance to be experienced. This style of time management is not normally recommended for effective living.

 Today’s Cherokee proverb and the scripture found in Hebrews 12 complement each other. They essentially say the same thing; one from a practical point of view and the other from a spiritual point of view.

 For the Cherokee people, time was and is sacred. They understand and are taught that you are only allotted so much time, and therefore, it must be used wisely or it will be wasted.

 There is a story told about a great Cherokee warrior who one day dug a rather large hole outside the entrance of his dwelling. Once the hole was complete, he covered it with a large stone so that it was sealed. Each night he would return from his daily activities and remove the large stone covering from the hole. He would then reach into a small leather pouch that he wore on his belt and take out several small stones and toss them into the hole and then replace the large stone covering. He repeated this procedure each night for several months before his family and friends finally asked him what he was doing.

 He told them that for many years he would arrive at his home and would enter his dwelling carrying all of his troubles from that day. He would then begin the process of unloading those problems onto his family. The arrow that had missed its mark in hunting and in battle would then be shot at his wife. The silence he had chosen when arguing with a friend would be unleashed in a powerful verbal volley with his children. The anger, frustration, regret, sadness and disappointments that he experienced during the day would be carried into his home, unloaded on his family and the result was not a peaceful dwelling.

 One day it occurred to him that the source of his conflict was from the unresolved  past that he carried into his dwelling. It was then that he decided to create the pit of the past and to lay those weighty stones in the pit each night before entering his home. Therefore, each day as he experienced a problem or difficulty, he picked up a stone and put it into his pouch to represent that situation. When he arrived at his home, he would uncover the pit, and ceremonially place each of the trouble stones in his pouch into the pit. He knew that they would be there in the morning when he went out again and that he could pick them up if he chose to. However, for the most part, they remained covered and his home became a much more peaceful place.

 Hebrews 12 reminds us that we are to lay aside the things that keep us from running the race of life effectively. Our sins, our problems and our past are to be cast aside so that we can run the race more effectively. No runner ever ran a winning race carrying suitcases full of stuff. In order to run effectively, the runner must cast off anything that weighs them down.

 God is asking us to give our burdens to Him and to allow Him to carry those for us. He so desperately desires a personal, intimate relationship with us, that He is willing to allow us to dump our fears, problems and sins onto Him so that we can run this life with greater effectiveness. He will then take those problems and cast them into the pit of the past and they will be forever forgotten.

 What sin are you carrying around that is keeping you from running effectively the race set before you? If you want to fly like the wind, free from life’s burdens then you must “cast your burdens unto Jesus, for He cares for you”. He has provided a great way for you to run freely. Why not take advantage of His offer?

 Today make every effort to cast off the past and let the present be more effective. Your life will surely be more enjoyable without that burden.

All Glory and Honor to God