Clear the Clutter

✨ January Theme: Set My Course

🕊️ Welcome Moment

Imagine standing at the starting line of a long‑awaited race. The air is crisp, the path ahead open, the anticipation rising. But before you begin, you notice the weight you’re carrying—bags, layers, unnecessary things that will slow you down.

The call of Hebrews 12 is simple and freeing:
Lay it down. Clear the clutter. Run light.

As you step into this new year, God invites you to release what hinders so you can run with purpose.

📖 Scripture Immersion

Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Let these words wash over you like a fresh wind clearing your path.

🌄 Snapshot

Picture a hiker beginning a steep ascent. Her backpack is stuffed with things she thought she needed—extra clothes, old journals, tools she never uses. Halfway up the trail, she’s exhausted.

A seasoned guide notices her struggle and gently says,
“Let me help you lighten your load.”

As she removes item after item, she feels her strength return. The climb becomes possible again.

This is the spiritual reality of Hebrews 12.
We often carry more than God ever asked us to.
And the first step toward clarity is release.

🔍 Deep Dive

“Throw off everything that hinders…”
Not everything that hinders is sinful. Some things are simply heavy—old fears, unnecessary commitments, emotional clutter, habits that drain rather than strengthen. God invites you to identify and release them.

“…and the sin that so easily entangles.”
Sin wraps around the feet of your soul, slowing your pace. Confession untangles. Grace frees. God doesn’t shame you—He liberates you.

“Run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”
Your race is uniquely designed by God. You don’t have to run someone else’s course. You only need to run yours—faithfully, steadily, freely.

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus…”
This is the heart of the journey.
Not fixing your eyes on the obstacles.
Not fixing your eyes on your own strength.
Fixing your eyes on the One who leads, empowers, and completes your faith.

As you Set Your Course this January, remember:
You run best when you run light.

🧭 Companion Questions

What emotional, spiritual, or practical “clutter” is weighing you down right now?
Which habits or patterns entangle your steps and keep you from running freely?
What does it look like for you to fix your eyes on Jesus in this season?
How would your pace change if you released what God never asked you to carry?

🚶‍♀️ Pilgrimage Practice

Clutter Inventory: Write down three things that hinder your spiritual pace. Pray over each one and ask God what to release.
One Release: Choose one item from your list and intentionally lay it down this week—emotionally, practically, or spiritually.
Fix Your Focus: Begin each morning by whispering, “Jesus, my eyes are on You.”
Run Light: Take a short walk today. With each step, imagine shedding a weight you’ve been carrying.

🙏 Closing Prayer

Lord, help me clear the clutter from my heart and life. Show me what to release so I can run the race You’ve marked out for me with freedom and joy. Fix my eyes on Jesus—my guide, my strength, and the perfecter of my faith. As I set my course this year, lighten my load and steady my steps. Amen.