“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:1
It’s more than about what you can see, believe it.
So imagine you are running this race right? Not only are you running but you are running with a weighted vest, ankle weights, dumbbells, and a parachute. All of a sudden this wicked monster comes up behind you and starts catching up to you. What is your first instinct? Fight, flight, freeze?
Well no matter what you may want to do, what’s the most logical thing for you to do? TAKE OFF YOUR WEIGHTS AND RUN FASTER! This monster is coming for your LIFE. You don’t have time to deal with all the weights holding you back, you have to run as fast as you can to get to wherever your intended finish line may be.
What if I told you that God often puts that scary monster behind us? Our first instinct may be to say, “Satan is trying to scare me once again,” but I believe there are times when God steps in and says, “No, that was me. I put him there.” But why would God put me through all that fear, pain, and hurt? Does He really care about me? And I would argue that He does.
In my previous example we come to understand that those weights were weighing us back are what we call sin (or even things that may cause us to sin). God says, “Look, if I can get you to put those weights down, you’ll run with a bit more urgency.” And maybe we will begin to focus less about pushing through the pain of the weights and start focusing more intently on the finish line. I think God does it so that we can begin to realize why we were running in the first place. Jesus begins to shift our focus from what we become distracted with.
How reckless is it to understand the urgency and still walk with a sense of ease? God’s push is for you to pick up speed, not walk at the same pace!
I’m not going to lie, this season hasn’t been peaches and cream for me. It hasn’t been one of the seasons of my life where I was sure about things or even where things were easy. If anything this has been one of the hardest seasons of my entire life, where God has completely rocked my world. There has been a lot of doubt. My faith in Christ has been heavily tested. It isn’t easy to be a Christian or to live for Christ, it’s actually been pretty difficult, just to be real.
But what God has began to show me is that my focus was invested in the wrong things. In our world today it’s so easy to be focused on relationships, social media, work, school, and everything else except being obedient and focusing on Jesus.
I think this truly has been a season of dependency if nothing else. And you may find yourself in a similar situation as me! God has been showing me how much I really loved and desired Him like I said I did. Do you love the place you’re in more than the place He’s calling you out of ? Is your desire to be is closer to Him bigger than the desire not to?
When will you realize the same things you’re holding on to aren’t really adding value to your life: they’re making you slow down? And inevitably the monster of anxiety, worry, stress, fear, and pain is going to catch up to you. Only when you realize that your weights are the very same ones Jesus came to take, only then will you stop putting yourself through unnecessary strength training. He gives you all the strength you’ll ever need.
Now if you’re like me you’ll expect a automatic strength right then and there when you first confess, but here’s the thing: This race we’re running isn’t a 50 yard dash, it’s long distance race that lasts our whole lifetime. It takes time to learn to lean on Jesus. It takes sacrifice and surrender. It means even when you don’t feel like it, you move on conviction. God is concerned with our actions more than our words.
Even though this race continues on and on I’m still here. I’m still fighting. I’m not going anywhere. And when times get hard and I fall, I dust myself off, cover myself in the Word, and start running again. And if you feel the way I feel, let’s stand together and say: “I will keep on running. I don’t care how long it takes, the finish line is my goal and I will get there.”
I had to stand up and say: I will not let this season rock me. I will read my Word, I will pray, I will seek God, I will love others, I will give my all, I will maintain my character while remembering God’s, I will not fail. This is the same energy you can have too! You can do it, you will read the Word, pray, seek God, love others, and maintain your character while remembering God’s. You will not fail.
Even though you may not feel that way stand on truth. Stand on faith. Be encouraged in the Lord. Know that there is nothing you have gone through that is uncommon to man and God is not surprised by your situation. You need to get up and get to it sis. We have work to do for the kingdom of God.
We are not of this world, we are simply in it. And when we don’t know what to do, we go to Him. So no matter how shaky you may feel, no matter how badly you may have messed up, no matter how scared you feel: take a step forward. Take a faith step. The next stair is already there even though you can’t see it: trust in Him. He will see you and me through.
Challenge: Take 1-2 verses (or other ones the Lord may be pressing you to focus on) and write them down on notecards. Place it somewhere in your room, in your planner, on your wallpaper, in your reminders, or whatever it takes to read them everyday and encourage yourself in the Lord! When finish memorizing those rotate them and start again for the new week! Stay encouraged friends!
Helpful and Encouraging Verses to Meditate On:
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:2
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8
“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”- Hebrews 12:5-7
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1:2-3
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:4-6
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”-John 15:4
she who abides. 