Laying Aside the Internal Weights

​Throughout Christianity there have been many who allow various things or people to hinder their race of life, but especially their running with Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Hebrews 12:1 tells us, “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”.  At first glance, this verse encourages getting rid of everything that would keep one from running a race for God, but the depth of meaning can be easily overlooked if not studied.  The word weight in this verse is defined as a burden, hindrance, or mass protruding from a surface.  This explains that the weights keeping one from running properly can be external or internal.  For example, internal weights could be excuses, attitudes, a lack of motivation or willpower, a lack of self-worth, a lack of mental stability, guilt, deception, worries, or fear to name a few.  These internal weights could be defined as things birthed from within creating a mass that others may or may not see within one’s life.  When a Christian allows these internal weights to make them stand still or go backward, they are forfeiting the things God has for them and possibly their entire race.  God’s people must keep a guard over their hearts from the weights and sins that would hinder a relationship with God (Proverbs 4:23).  Speaking the Word of God over these internal weights will help lay them aside and no longer give voice to these hindrances (Proverbs 4:24-27).  Jesus said, pay attention to yourselves and do not let your hearts be overtaken by weights and stay alert at all times to stay strong in the things of God (Luke 21:34-36).  No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person, so everyone must receive the Spirit of God and not the world’s spirit to discern where the thoughts originate (1 Corinthians 2:11-12).  The goal of weights and sins is to hinder every Christian who does not lay them aside.  The spiritual enemies of one’s faith ensure there are plenty of weights coming from the external but also influenced to be birthed as internal.  Using the Word of God regarding any of the internal weights is the best method to cut the strings that would keep the weights from being laid aside.  Here are some Bible verses for each of the mentioned weights to help overcome them and run the race.  Excuses (Luke 14:18-20; Exodus 4:10-14; Luke 9:59-62; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 1:37), attitudes/emotions (James 1:2-18; Philippians 4:6-8; Proverbs 29:11; Galatians 5:16-24; James 1:19-20), lack of motivation/willpower (Galatians 6:9; Colossians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Romans 12:11; Isaiah 40:28-31), lack of self-worth (Hebrews 13:5; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 5:8; Isaiah 41:10; Luke 12:7), lack of mental stability (2 Corinthians 10:5; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:13; James 1:8; Philippians 4:4-13), guilt (Romans 8:1; Romans 5:1; Luke 15:7; Psalm 103:1-12; Hebrews 9:14), deception (Colossians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Proverbs 28:26; James 1:26; Titus 1:9), worries (John 14:1; 1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 15:13; Hebrews 11:1), and fear (2 Timothy 1:7; Matthew 10:28; Isaiah 41:10; 1 John 4:18; Joshua 1:9).  This list is not exhaustive but can be a resource to start laying aside the internal weights that hinder a person from running their race for God.  May Christians everywhere lay aside these weights and obtain victory through Jesus Christ.  For more information about Abundant Grace Church visit agcsparta.org.