Overcoming Heaviness

"Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne."
Hebrews 12:1-2

For the last three months, burdens have weighed me down. My nature is to help people and solve problems; and my natural personality is to worry and become anxious. The heaviness causes me to lose focus on the positives surrounding me and I begin to feel out of control. So the first thought that jumps at me from this scripture is to "lay aside every weight" ... To give up control... To know that Jesus Christ bears my burdens... I need to be reminded of this regularly; it is an ongoing struggle in my life.

As the heaviness of burdens overwhelm me, the word JOY leaps out. Jesus Christ endured the ultimate suffering on the cross, and He did it with joy. I've been looking at prayer a lot recently, and I've studied the prayer of Jesus at Gethsemane just before Judas betrayed Him. Overcome with sorrow and the heaviness of the burden He was carrying, Jesus asked God to take it away. This is so familiar to me! But Jesus knew he had to endure the pain to fulfill God's plan so He ends the prayer with "Yet not as I will, but as You will." How difficult that must have been for Him to say. How difficult that is for me to say in my own prayer life when I'm begging God to change my circumstances! I've been challenged recently to use this phrase in my prayer life to turn my attitude toward God's will, away from my own will, and to find joy in heartache.

Recently I have been encouraged by fellow believers. These are people that don't know me, but I see love in their actions. Even though I haven't shared what's on my heart, they have asked how I'm doing and wait to actually hear an answer. They've prayed for me and with me. And I've been pushed out of my comfort zone more than once in recent months. I thank God for them. I watch in amazement as God performs miracles in each of their lives and I desire to be a part of it. It is such an encouragement to be surrounded by "a large cloud of witnesses"; it's something I've been missing for a very long time.

After laying aside the weights, focusing on the joy of fulfilling God's will for my life, and leaning on the cloud of witnesses surrounding me, I will be able to "run with endurance the race."

I'm definitely not perfect, but I strive towards the perfection of Christ every day. These verses tell me how to overcome the heaviness of the burdens that sometimes paralyze me. Hopefully, I can use even the difficult circumstances to bring glory to God.

Spiritual Birthday

The other day it dawned on me that I had a mile marker of a spiritual birthday this year! I don't know why it came to mind. Perhaps it was the Easter holiday. Maybe I was thinking about the end of my birthday month or that it was my sister's birthday. Knowing how randomly my mind tracks from one thought to the next I could have been thinking about the cold or the rain or that my favorite color is purple.

Twenty-five years ago... yes that is a quarter of a century ago... I asked for God to forgive me and for Jesus to be Lord of my life.


My story...

I was 6 years old and in the first grade. At the time we were living in a 2 bedroom duplex near the airport in St. Louis. My dad had recently gotten out of the Air Force and was trying to find full-time employment so we were moving around quite a bit.

In the weeks leading up to THE BIGGEST DECISION OF MY LIFE, my mother's grandmother had passed away. For an analytical 6 year old child, there were questions about death and heaven and hell. My mother would answer my questions, and then she allowed me the time to think on the answer.

I am a very blessed girl because I had Godly parents that made sure I was in church every Sunday from the time I came home from the hospital. I knew who God was. I knew that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. I knew that Jesus died on a cross because He loved me.

At one point I made the comment to my mother that if we all died I'd be the only one not to go to heaven. I knew that I did not have the relationship with God that I needed in order to spend eternity with Him and my family.

I don't remember my mother's grandmother dying or the funeral. I don't remember all the questions I asked or the things I said. But let me tell you what I do remember...

One night I was getting ready for bed. It was a normal night in the middle of the week. I brushed my teeth and went to say goodnight to my mom with my shadow of a little sister right on my heels. As I walked into the living room, I remember saying "Mom, I want to get saved." I knelt on my knees at the coffee table and I prayed. I prayed that God would forgive me for my sins and that Jesus would be Lord of my life.

It was that simple.

I've heard Christians say that children can't get saved. I did. Religion sometimes puts so many complications on salvation. But it doesn't have to be complicated. It isn't complicated.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9.

Sometimes I start to believe that my testimony isn't very powerful. I haven't experienced tragedy or great loss. I've not suffered through addictions or a long list of unhealthy relationships. I don't have a story about how horrible my life was before I turned it over to God.

What my testimony does say is believe that Jesus loves you; believe in His death and resurrection; confess your need for Him; and you too can spend eternity with Christ.

I don't think I could have survived the ups and downs of life without my relationship with Christ to carry me through it. My faith is sometimes the only thing that gets me up in the morning. My faith has led me to a life of service through Social Work. And I will testify that I am enormously blessed because of the decision I made that night twenty-five years ago.

HAPPY SPIRITUAL BIRTHDAY!