“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).
This verse clearly tells us to first, “set aside every weight.” Why is that? Well, because weights slow you down. You see, a weight may not necessarily be a sin, but still it’s not good for you. God expects us to drop all the stuff that has been slowing us down.
People have been slowing you down. You’ve been carrying them and they don’t want to be carried. Remember, you can only help those who want to be helped. If they don’t want to be helped, then you have to let them go or the weight of carrying them will pull you under.
Let me illustrate this. Have you ever witness someone trying to rescue a drowning person? Instead of the drowning person cooperating with the rescue, they panic and start grabbing and pulling under the very one who is trying to save them.
Many times that’s what we’re doing, trying to help people who don’t want to be helped. You need to understand that God gave them a free will. You have to let them go; otherwise, they will be a liability to you.
For some folks it’s going to take the power of the Holy Spirit to set them free, so your job is to pray for them and let God do the rest.
Secondly, we are to “lay aside every sin….” First John 1:9 tells us to confess our sins before God. Unconfessed sin is one of the insidious reasons why Christians have failure in their lives.
The definition of sin is to miss the mark. So if the Holy Spirit is directing you to go a particular way and you won’t go, then that’s as much sin with God as any other sin.
But the good news is that God is faithful to forgive us when we confess our sins. First John 2:1 tells us that Jesus is our advocate (lawyer), who goes before the heavenly Father on our behalf. However, Jesus can only defend us when we recognize that we have missed it and confess our sins before God.
In other words, we have to be willing to say, “I missed it God; please forgive me.” You see, you can’t sweep your sin under the rug, and then come to church and worship God like nothing happened.
Always be quick to confess your sin so that you and God can forget about it. Repentance allows you to move up to the next level and have victory in your life.
Scripture References: 1 John 1:9; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalms 86:5
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Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).