A couple from Bakersfield, California purchased a new boat, but they were having serious problems. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get the boat going. It was sluggish no matter which way they turned or how much power was applied. After an hour of trying to make it go, they putted to a nearby marina, hoping someone could tell them what was wrong. A thorough check on the topside of the boat revealed everything was in perfect working condition. The engine ran fine, the out drive went up and down, and the propeller was the correct size and pitch. Then, one of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath. He came up choking with laughter. Under the boat, still strapped securely in place, was the trailer!

How often have we been guilty of the same thing? We sputter along in our spiritual lives, wondering why we’re not making much progress, wondering why we don’t feel any closer to God than we do. We take a spiritual check of the situation and find that we’re attending worship regularly, we’re reading our Bibles, we’re praying. On the surface, everything appears to be what it ought to be. But beneath the surface lurks some sin that we have allowed to latch hold of our lives. And there it lies, unforgiven, maybe even unrecognized, dragging us down.

Though the Hebrew writer used the image of a runner as opposed that that of a boat, the concept is exactly the same: “…(L)et us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1).

If your spiritual life is sputtering along, perhaps you would do well to look for sin that lies beneath the surface. Throw off everything that hinders you, and you’ll find that things will run a lot more smoothly.

Alan Smith alansmith.servant@gmail.com