675 Remove Non Essentials - Hebrews 12:1-2

Do you ever feel like you're carrying too many things or trying to do too much? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. Today and tomorrow, I'd like to talk about Hebrews 12:1-2. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

I like this challenge in scripture. It's a challenge to us who follow Jesus. To consider exactly what we're doing. Sometimes I treat my life much more like a vacation than a calling from the Lord. I think that I can sit around and waste my time and blow things and just take it easy. I'm trying to engineer my life in such a way that it benefits me.

Paul's reminding us here that we operate for our Lord. We're working for him. And we let these witnesses that he mentioned in chapter 11, be our inspiration. And then he challenges us to lay aside every weight. I was reading from the English Standard Version. In the New American Standard it said "lay aside every encumbrance." Our efforts and what we have to carry, the stuff that we carry with us clings to us.

The sin, which clings to us closely. He's challenging us to cast those things off. Let's get rid of the things that are not God. Do you spend much time talking to God and asking him what you should or shouldn't do? There are parts of my life where I've never really invited Jesus in as far as I probably should have.

How do I spend my time? How do I invest my energy in other people? How do I do my job? Those are all opportunities for me to give up those things I might be holding on to, to grasp more of Jesus, to find out more of what he would have. We have to let go of the things that cling to us and the weights that we carry around so that we're in a position to be able to run with endurance the race that is set before us.

The race is this calling God has given us. The life that we have, it's our one opportunity to bless other people, to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. I believe that's the primary reason why Jesus leaves us here after he saved us. Yes, he's fixing us. And yes, he's doing things to glorify himself through us.

And that's our purpose is to be Jesus bearer. To show other people would a Christ follower looks like in every circumstance and every situation. Today, I want to challenge us. Let's run with endurance the race that is set before us. And the best way to do that is to let go of the non-essentials. Whatever is happening in your life, that is a problem for you. And I'm not talking about things that are essential. Our family, our relationship with Christ, our relationship with people, the quality of work we do. Our job. Please don't hear me is telling you to upset your entire life. Rather let's lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely. So that we may run with endurance the race that is set before us.

That's our challenge today. Take a moment and ask Jesus to show you what to concentrate on and what to let go of and then find a way to do it. And if you would like to be part of a community, that's constantly trying to follow Jesus better in our workplace. Check out https://followerofone.org.

Join our online community at https://community.Followerofone.org and join us on the next marketplace mission trip. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and thank you for making a difference with your faith every day. Your actions matter. Thanks very much.