Therefore, 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. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews12:1-3
There are things that hinder and entangle us. Some of it is sin: habits, attitudes, mindsets that entangle our feet as we run the race of life and faith. Sometimes the entanglements slow us down - sometimes they bring us crashing down.
Sometimes the hindrances aren't outright sin, but just stuff that accumulates in our lives and becomes the baggage that slows us down.
We need to deal with this stuff...
The writer to the Hebrews tells us how:
1. Bear in mind that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. (If you read the preceding chapter, it's all about the Old Testament heroes of the faith.) We can be inspired by their example and by God's faithfulness to them. We are not doing this in a vacuum.
2. Throw off the hindrances and entanglements. They need to be cast aside for the junk that they are. It's a matter of being decisive and deliberate.
3. We must fix our eyes on Jesus. Remembering His example and being inspired by His love and courage.
Penitence starts with seeing God clearly and embracing simple uncomplicated faith in Him. It's about clean hearts and a new spirit. It's about healing.
It's about seeing Jesus and running towards Him...
(Do you remember that scene from Forrest Gump where a young Forrest is in calipers and some boys chase him? The calipers start falling off and he runs faster and faster, free from the hindrances. The key difference is that while he runs away from bullies - we run towards Jesus!)
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
