In a recent teaching, I was reminded of Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for those that would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. God knows our hearts – HE KNOWS our true motives for everything. He knows our wants and desires, our thoughts and character.
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Why we do our works
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Why we are tempted and are drawn into sin
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Why we struggle and fall at times
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Why we behave the way to do
He is not asking us to change for Him. He will change us if we honestly and diligently seek Him. The road will be difficult and painful at times, but He will be with us and carry the load when it is too heavy. He is the one in control, and His will, WILL be done, so our posture must be to let go and let God. Surrender to His leading. Surrender to His asks of us, total unconditional surrender.
“Must believe” is absolute, and it is the settled confidence we must have, in the unseen; a confident trust, a hope beyond any doubt—persistent hope in all seasons and all circumstances.
“He exists,” meaning He is alive and active in each of us. We are to step into this calling and be a witness. To demonstrate the faith we have that is unshakeable; to be a living testimony pointing to the glory of God. Hebrews 12:1 starts with “since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” This can mean being in the holy presence of witnesses, but it can also mean walking out our lives in the midst of unbelievers who are watching our every move, our responses, behaviours and our faith in action.
The verse continues, to say “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Race in Greek is agona which sounds like agony. If you have ever tried or been a runner, you know it can be agonizing at times.
This journey is a run, a race. We must be lean, which means
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Casting off excess weight ( baggage like sin, the past, the control, etc.)
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Focus on Jesus as He is the prize, the promise pointing to our heavenly home.
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Do not grow faint, weary, lazy but press on even with it is hard or seems easy!
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Be prepared, have a plan, meaning know the Word of God and speak it into existence.
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Stay on course, do not stray off the path. Stay on the narrow road.
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Run with others in community but be prepared to run alone if needed.
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And if you fall, PICK YOURSELF BACK UP AND DUST YOURSELF OFF and then run more!
So, run a good race. God’s promises are not meant to be heavy and unachievable; He promised them so let go and let God. Always look to Jesus and lay aside sin for sure. Let go of the other stuff that gets in your way. This “stuff” is baggage you do not need on the journey, in the race. Always ask yourself, “does it help me run the race?”. Remember, lay aside every weight that slows you down or could even stop you in your tracks.
Be lean because this won’t be easy; it will be hard. It will actually be painful and anguishing, as it was for Jesus. We know He suffered physically, emotionally, far beyond anything we could imagine, for the joy set before Him, the promise from the Father for the glory to be realized.
