Mr. Hebrew put it well when he said
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run the race set before us.
A weight and a sin are two different things:
Sin is outright wrong and needs to be repented of.
A weight is something that is legitamate but not helpful. Hey, just like a distraction.
We all know what sins are in our life that we are working out. We all have our battles.
But what about weights? What is a weight?
Your self-appointed goal to watch a movie every weekend? There’s nothing wrong with that but is it helping you run as hard as you can? Is that movie like a 5 pound weight on your ankle when you’re trying to sprint and win?
Nobody can tell you what your weights are. That is between you and God.
Here’s a good way to help you figure out some things that are slowing you down: What comes to your mind whenever you’re trying to be with Jesus? Is there something there that is pulling for your attention?
Jerry James said:
I have always thought of the statement that, “God is going to remove everything that hinders love” as the everything being sin. But now you have me thinking that something that hinders love could be a weight which wouldn’t neceassarily be a sin.
A weight is something that slows us down . . . people could, circumstances could, not having the right tools, lack of resources, not knowing what to do (lacking wisdom, going the wrong way . . . but how would we lay these things aside? Just thinking out loud here.
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Shawn said:
@ Jerry - Yeah, I think having a lack of focus and vision is a huge weight. Without it we perish. We don’t know how to spend our time. We just flounder around.
I have 3 daily goals that I try to keep every day:
1. Breakthrough in prayer with God
2. Serve and grow in a Sermon on the Mount Lifestyle
3. Be faithful in whatever function I’m currently in while pursuing growth and maturity for tomorrow.
Posted on November 17, 2006 at 5:43 pm
Ruth said:
Is that what we call weight always weight? For example, for me a weight can be having too many friends (a lot of non-christians). Seeing them too often for example. But…sometimes we label things as a weight on our ankle, while they are appointed there by God, to make us strong in our running towards Him. I remember Jennifer Roberts vision, the one she had years ago. That was such a revelation, because now I really pray and ask God to make me wise in my decisions, what is weight in my life? and what looks like a bag full of junk that I carry around while God gave me this bag to carry along, to hand it over to Him when I meet the King in the great city and open it and see a bag full of diamonds to give to Him. Song of songs 8:12
Posted on November 18, 2006 at 2:15 am
Shawn said:
@ Ruth - I love Jennifer’s vision. She was carying all those diaper bags and babies and strollers and she said “God this will make me slow” and He said “no, it will make you strong.”
We are called to run our own races. It’s not about beating other people to the finish line.
I think here, this is not what Hebrews is talking about by casting off every weight. The wieghts that Hebrews is talking about are things that slow us down from what the Lord has for us. They are issues that we can voluntarily give up that will give us more time and energy to be with the Lord.
The things that God appointed in our life like circumstances and trials are things He allowes so we can be strengthened and transformed into His image. Like the cross: Jesus’ cross was not a ‘weight’.
Posted on November 18, 2006 at 10:32 am
John Tracy said:
Mmmmm… thanks for that insightful bit Shawn. Its got that savory, insightful IHOP seasoning on it. Never equated the “weights” of Hebrews 12:1 as the “good which is the enemy of the best”. Yum. I’m gonna chew on this insight for a few. Better than Chipotle (even though I like Quiznos better).
Posted on November 24, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Shawn said:
@ John - Thanks for leaving the ‘tastiest’ comment so far. And did you mean Quiznos or Qudoba?
Posted on November 24, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Stay Strong all Season Long » Fighting to Stay Awake said:
[…] Here’s a quick list of the top of my head of sins or weights that most people probably encounter during the holidays. […]
Posted on November 25, 2006 at 11:48 am