What are those things that hold us back from the development of our spirit? Let's look at a scripture in Hebrews 12 to get those answers.
Hebrews 12:1-2 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, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. KJV
There is nothing in that scripture that tells us in this race to lie back and just let things run over us and grip and complain and don't resist the devil and don't resist the problem.
Hebrews 12:1,2 …let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up. The Living Bible
Hebrews 12:1 …let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, AMP
If a person doesn't strip off the weights then they can't run their spiritual race. Natural runners in a race strip down as much as they can. That's what we are supposed to do and lay aside the weight. It is so important that we get rid of every weight, the enemies or the weights that hold us back.
We can feed on the Word and exercise our faith and rest but we can still be weak because of things that try to deplete your spirit. It is like filling a gas can with a hole in it or run a marathon wearing heavy clothes. All of these things work against the person running. So we have to strip off those things that are enemies to our faith and that will hold us back and hold us down.
When they make motorcycles they use materials of lighter weight so they will run faster. We can do the same. We can shave off whatever is holding us back, the excess and we can run our race faster and we can get stronger.
It is possible to accomplish more spiritually by shaving off all the unnecessary things. We don't need more power but we just need to get rid of the drain, the hindrances and the excess weight.
- Worry and care are big enemies to a strong spirit.
We have instructions from the Bible about worry and care.
1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. AMP
There are two big things I think that we can have a care about and that is money and sickness and the Lord tells us what to do about it; roll it over on Him, cast the care of it on Him. If we still have the care, we haven't rolled the care over on Him. We know that when we are still carrying the care that we still got it and it's still up to us what happens. When we roll it over on the Lord then He knows what to do with it. If we will do it in faith then He will take it and fix it. We have got to cast our care over on the Lord. Roll the care. Don't forget it. You see this in this verse,
Ezekiel 21:7 And it shall be that when they say to you, Why do you sigh? that you shall answer, Because of the tidings. When it comes, every heart will melt and all hands will be feeble, and every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it shall be fulfilled, says the Lord God. AMP
So when the evil tidings come if we have not cast the care, that is a weight and it will hold us down.
I pray for you: Father, I pray each person will cast all the cares of their life over onto You for You care for them affectionately and You care about them watchfully. You will show them how much You really care about them as they cast their care. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
So we must know that fear is an open door for satan to come in, worry and care are open doors and we need to recognize it.
Bills need paid and you don't have the money to pay them, there are late payments and you have no money to pay them; so we have to get on the Word a step at a time and the first thing is to learn how to take the Word, believe you receive it, put it in your mouth, "I have it," and refuse to worry and care. Thoughts will come, "You are not going to make it. You will never get those bills paid. They are going to come and get your car and house." Roll it over on the Lord. Don't worry. Take the answer from the Lord as He takes the care but don't take the care.
So we are going to lay aside every weight and every sin that does so easily beset us whether it is relational problems, jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness, strife, or offense.
I suggest that you write down everything that is holding you down and holding you back and get into the Word and find the Word that covers that thing and put it first place and then you will find yourself eliminating everything that hinders you just like they shave down everything on the motorcycle to make it weigh less so it will run faster. The more we let go of the junk of this world, the more power and the stronger we will be.
Father, we thank you for your grace to lay aside every weight and the sin that hinders us and we are getting stronger in You and in the power of Your might every day, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
- Yielding to the flesh.
Psalm 31:10 Sin has drained my strength;… NLT
Sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go, keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay, make you pay a higher price than you ever wanted to pay.
Yielding to the flesh is a weight. Don't give in.
1 Peter 2:11 …abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; KJV
Father, in the Name of Jesus, we lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us and we yield ourselves to you, no longer to the flesh and we cast that weight over onto you now in Jesus' Name. We roll it all over on you Lord.
- Overloaded life.
We have no time for the Lord. We have to make time. That is the first thing in our lives that we have to do is we spend time in the Word and make time for the Lord; because He is the answer to everything. The world around us doesn't have a lot of answers to problems today and there are more problems to come.
A good example in the New Testament of putting the Word first place was Mary and Martha. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and she heard the Word. She got something. Martha on the other hand,
Luke 10:40 But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving;… AMP
Luke 10:41 But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; AMP
We need to put the Word first place and read and meditate on it and make it final authority. The more we know and act on, the more free we are. That's why the Word is so important. That's why we need to read the Word every day. You might ask, "Haven't we read it before?" Yes. We read it again day after day; because we want to be free and also that's where faith comes from. Faith doesn't come by watching and hearing the news on the TV and from secular stuff. We get faith from the Word; putting it in our eyes and ears, speaking it out of our mouths so that it gets down in our hearts where it talks to us.