Shark Tonic

Shark Tonic

Bible: Hebrews 12:1-11

Reading

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles (V.1).

Have you ever heard of ‘shark tonic’? The proper term is “tonic immobility”, described as “a natural state of paralysis that animals enter … Sharks can be placed in a tonic immobility state by turning them upside down. The shark remains in this state of paralysis for an average of fifteen minutes before it recovers.”

Imagine, a dangerous shark can be stopped in its tracks simply by turning it upside down. Tonic immobility makes sharks totally unable to move.

Sin is like that. Our ability to know God, please Him and live for Him, the whole reason we were made in the first place, can be put into ‘shark tonic’ by the power of sin. To that end, the writer of Hebrews wants us to take action. He wrote, “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” (HEBREWS 12:1).

If we are to run the race of the Christian life well, we must deal with sin before it stops us in our tracks. Little selfish acts can become ways of life that pull us away from God and His ways. We need to lay aside the things that turn us away from Him—starting today.

WE MUST FIGHT OUR SELFISH HABITS BEFORE THEY TURN US UPSIDE DOWN.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries