Resharing this older post from 7 years ago! Praying it is still a help to you!
A popular New Year's resolution is to lose weight. It is also one of the most dreaded due to the work that is involved in doing so! We know that the benefits often outweigh the work put into it. But did you realize that the Bible talks about WEIGHT loss that every Christian should resolve to keep? Hebrews 12:1b says,"....let us lay aside EVERY WEIGHT and the SIN which doth so easily beset us,...).Like extra physical weight that slows our bodies down, different things we struggle with hinder us in our daily walk with the Lord.
Although these weights and sins affect everyone of us as believers, they differ from person to person. The weights mentioned in this verse do not necessarily have to be wrong for us to do. I Corinthians 6: 12 says, " All things ARE lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient(profitable): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." It may be something that keeps us away from the things we should do, such as reading our Bible and praying. Could it be time spent on the computer that keeps us from having adequate time to read and pray? Maybe your favorite TV show, books, or other hobbies are the culprits? All of these things in and of themselves are not wrong, but when they take precedence over what we need to do daily to stay close to the Lord, then it becomes a weight. It is keeping us pressed down from reaching "higher ground" for the Lord. Other weights that can slow us down are fear, holding on to past hurts, or feeling we are not able to do anything for God. We need to be humble for sure, but when we become so engulfed in feeling that we can't be used to do anything, often the result is just that. The Lord's only prerequisite for service is the ability of availability. We have to be willing to do anything and trust God for His ability to help us complete the task at hand.
Sin is different from weights that slow us down. Weights have to be dropped while we are still serving, but sin breaks service. Sin not only hinders our walk but harms it. It will act as a cancer if not dealt with. It definitely breaks our fellowship with the Lord until forgiveness is sought and put under the blood, If it is allowed to stay and hold us down, tragedy can occur. An example is bitterness over a long period of time. It should not be allowed past a root (Heb.12:15.)It will trouble and engulf us,and eventually defile us.We can't be used for God or grow in bitterness.
Whether it is a spiritual weight or sin that is slowing us down, let us "lay aside" all of them so that we can "run with patience the race set before us, " ICorinthians 12:1c.
As always, and awesome post! Thank you!
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