I recently traveled to do some ministry with a group of influential leaders in their respective fields. They are men from a variety of walks of life and backgrounds. The common theme they all share is a genuine desire to be more like Jesus. We spent a good part of our time in prayer over each man and following the Spirit’s guidance in His Word. Here are few of the things I learned from our time together.
- Knowing and agreeing with God’s identity over you brings freedom. Bondage is sure to follow deception. One of the major weapons the enemy of our soul uses is deception and often targets our identity with his attacks. If we are not fully in agreement with the Lord and His voice over our lives, we will live entangled with strongholds that trip us up in every area of life. This includes work, marriage, family, friendships, vision, etc.
Hebrews 12:1–3 (ESV)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 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. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
The recipients are exhorted to lay aside every weight. The word in the Greek for weight is bulk or mass. It is speaking of the training period before a race when unnecessary bulk or mass is reduced. This includes anything that keeps the runner from being prepared for the race. It is by running that the runner learns what these hindrances are. So long as the runner stands, he does not feel that they are burdensome and hampering. What is currently hindering you from running at God’s ordained speed? Is it time for you to lay aside the weight you have been carrying? The weight of a false identity and low self-image?
We are exhorted to “throw off or away” the sin that clings so closely. This means those things that have been cleverly placed in our lives by the enemy of our souls. It speaks of a sin which readily or easily encircles the Christian runner, like a long, loose robe clinging to his limbs. The sin may be any evil propensity. Is it time for you to throw off the sin which clings so closely? It is time to peel back the false identity that is clinging so closely and receive the clarity of God’s identity over you. Start here: I am secure in Christ’s love for me (Romans 8:35-39); I am a joint-heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Romans 8:17); I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).
- When your expectations are higher than the Lords, you will spend your resources in places that exhaust you. We all have a set amount of resources the Lord has given us. These resources can be summarized in three words: time, treasure, talents. Many times, He will give us our “daily bread” or allotted daily amount to spend. When our expectations on ourselves or others is higher than the Lord’s, we will spend our resources in less fruitful areas and be left feeling like a failure.
Where are you sowing your resources? Are you pouring your resources in the major areas of your life (intimacy with Jesus, marriage, spiritual gifts, etc.)? What are the Lords expectations of you (Luke 10:27)? Are your expectations different than His?
- Relying on your own strength will lead to fatigue. I recently was talking with a pastor who mentioned that the United States is the most medicated culture in history. He was speaking about the medicine that we turn to when sick but think about the things we turn to when we are fatigued. It is very easy to medicate our fatigue with another coffee or energy drink.
Many people live unnecessarily tired and fatigued because they are working in their own strength. When we are relying on our strength, we aren’t tapped into the life source that the Lord says He will provide (John 15:5). Through our actions, it is easy to communicate to the Lord that we can take care of it and He is not needed. When our lives start to fall apart, we cry out to Him or blame Him for not blessing the work of our hands. How fickle we as humans can be. If you want to produce much fruit, abide in Him. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you (Matthew 11:29).