By Michael Adekoya – “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 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” Heb. 12:1
Dear Reader, Happy New Year to you in the name of our Lord Jesus. Glory be to God for granting us the grace to see this New Year. Many desired to see it, many prepared for it, many planned for it but not all lived to see it. For being among those who are able to see this New Year, you need to give thanks and praise to our King. This year shall be our best year so far in the name of Jesus. Amen.
My friend, for us to run our Christian race effectively, efficiently, with great impact and for us to enjoy the goodness of the Lord in this New Year, we need to shed some ‘weights’. Spiritually speaking, there are some ‘weights’ that we all need to get rid of. By ‘weights’ as mentioned in our text; ‘every weight’ the Greek word was sometimes used by Greek writers to denote the excessive size and weight of body which the athlete sought to reduce by means of training; but may also signify the encumbrance of any burden, unnecessary clothing, and the like. It is here best taken in a general sense, as denoting anything that encumbers, and thus renders the athlete less fitted for the race. The spiritual interpretation connotes the pressure of earthly cares, remember Demas – 2 Tim. 4:9-10, especially all worldly afflictions and delights; all worldly hopes, fears, cares, and friendships; whatever would encumber us in running, would impede our progress, or draw us away from our duty.
My friend, when Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was calling him, the Bible says in Mark 10:50 that, “and throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus” In other words, Bartimaeus threw aside his ‘begging garment’, the garment of hindrance, the garment of his past, the garment that everyone has been using to describe him, the garment that would not let him be able to run to meet Jesus in the crowd. He dealt with the obstacle of his next level – his garment. My friend, you too need to throw away your own ‘garment/s’ in this year 2018. All the ‘garments’ that will not let you move forward to be who God wants you to be, all the garments that will not let you achieve, possess and receive all what God has got in stock for you in this New Year. What could these ‘garment/s’ be in your life? Well I shall enumerate some of them.
Worry. My friend, your ‘weight’ or ‘garment’ could be worry; you worry too much about everything. ‘Weight’ is different from sin as we can see from the text above, ‘every weight’ is mentioned separately from ‘sin the easily ensnares us’. It may not necessarily be sinful, but it can lead to sin if not dealt with. So worry also may not be sinful, but it can eventually lead us to sin if not destroyed at the initial stage. Jesus has instructed us in Matt. 6:31-33 that “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. Worry paralyses, it discourages, it shrinks creativities, it causes diseases, depression, it can eventually lead to untimely death. Do you want to fulfil God’s plan and purpose for your life in this year, get rid of worry, it is a weight.
Another ‘weight’ that we all need to get rid of is Bad Friendship and Evil Companions. The Bible says, “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1Cor. 15.33.
If you are walking with unbelievers, those who have no godly ambition, the party goers, the gold and ‘aso ebi’ buyers, the gossips, the fornicators, the adulteresses, the alcoholics, the fraudsters and the Amnos – 2Sam. 13:3-5. Before you know it, they shall corrupt your good manners and your good Christian ethics. What do you need to do? Get rid of them.
Also your business companions and your spiritual associates matters to your success, progress, profits, breakthroughs and advancements. For example, God informed Abraham to get out of his father’s house and kindred, Gen. 12:1-4, but he went out with Lot, his Nephew. Abraham did not make any clear-cut progress until Lot separated from him Gen. 13:8-9, 14-17. Another example of this is Jonah. When Jonah was in the boat with the other travellers, there was storm, panic, turmoil, loss of goods, etc – Jonah 1:5. But when he was thrown overboard – Jonah 1:12-15, there was peace, progress and they were able to get to their destination. Prayerfully, tactically and with wisdom of God, get rid of every Lot and Jonah in the ship of your destiny, business or ministry. Not that the ‘Lots’ and ‘Jonahs’ are bad, terrible or not good or be useful, but they may not be fit for your own business, career or ministry. Pray for the likes of Josephs – Gen. 39:5 and the likes of Jacob – Gen. 30:27, 30. Through them, your life, destiny, business, career or ministry shall be blessed, progress, impactful and achieve God’s plans and purposes.
My friend, another weight that you need to get rid in this New Year is ‘Saul’s Armour’. When David wanted to go and fight Goliath, King Saul offered him his armour, the Bible says “So Saul clothed David with his armour, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armour and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off”- 1Sam. 17:38-39. ‘Saul’s Armour’ includes those pursuits, those careers, businesses and ministries that are not meant for you. There is no way they will not become burdens, weights and problems for you if they are not meant or determined by God for you. Stop doing things because others are doing it. Stop studying a course because your friends are studying it. Stop pursuing a career because someone is making it in that career. Stop going into politics because it is the quickest way to get rich. If you are already in any of these, they are ‘Saul’s armour’, like David, take them off. You cannot achieve any outstanding progress, impact or be effective by wearing ‘Saul’s armour’.
My friend, what do you need to do to cast off the ungodly weights in your life? The first thing is to ask God to open your spiritual eyes to recognise the ungodly weights in your life. Some are easy to recognise, deal with those instantly, mercilessly and brutally. But some are hidden like the unfriendly friends, the ‘Amnons’, the bad or evil companions like the ‘Lots’, the ‘Jonahs’, etc.
Make sure you acknowledge these ungodly weights, don’t explain them away, don’t ignore them, don’t put up with them, stop managing, cease from enduring or tolerating them any longer. Prayerfully reject, detest and determine in your mind to cast them off. Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to do this effectively. My friend, if you do this, your life, destiny, your business, your career, your ministry and your family shall never remain the same. This is a year of harvest, a year of reward, a year of progress, a year of promotion, a year of unprecedented acceleration, a year of divine speed and fulfilment of promises.
But if there is any ‘weight’ in your life, you will not be able to move forward as you should. No athlete puts on wedding gown to run; now swimmer puts on 3 piece suit to compete, and no boxer puts on agbada in a boxing contest. They all dress to suitably for their sports, for free movements, to avoid hindrances and obstacles. If they do that in the natural, you too how much more you that is engaging in a spiritual race, you need to shed the ‘weights’ that can hinder your movement and progress in the race. Apostle Paul says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified”1Cor. 9:24-27. This year shall be your best year so far, but get rid of your ‘weights’, run light and free, then you shall enjoy all what God has purposed for you in this year. Once again, Happy New Year and remain blessed!
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