Whether we have been indoctrinated to fear God or have experienced a divine encounter that has left us with a healthy fear of God, most believers have a fear of not pleasing God. My mother-in-law feared God’s punishment for snitching some chocolate ice-cream at night. Others fear incurring God’s disfavor if they miss their devotions, don’t pray enough or go to church every Sunday. While others fear disappointing God, they dismiss their failure by hiding behind God’s grace. (Cf. Romans 6:1-2)
The truth is not every flub up we do that leaves us feeling guilty or imperfect is a sin which breaks God’s law written in our heart. Flubs are simply mistakes which are signs of immaturity. How many times does a small child fall down when learning to walk? How often do their parents discipline, berate, or shame them when they fall? Of course not, because they know their child will get right back up and press on. They will outgrow their childish ways. So why should we scold ourselves when we fall? What God is looking for in our flubs is how we respond AFTER we fall. Do we admit we fell short of walking like a mature adult, learn from it and get up to press on? …or do we justify our fall and try to act as if falling is no big deal, even if we have been a Christian for decades?
The writer of the book of Hebrews gave a very insightful warning. He wrote … 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 (Hebrews 12:1, HCSB). His distinction between a weight and a sin is insightful. Most are familiar with a sin, whatever is contrary to God’s laws or precepts. In contrast, by using an analogy of running a race, the writer uses the term ‘weight’ to describe anything that would slow a runner down in their spiritual race towards the crown of life. A ‘weight’ would be different for each person. It may be pride; vanity; worldly wisdom or explanations; an almost ungovernable temper; a shady imagination; insecurities, calloused heart, busyness, or the cares of life. Whatever it might be, it is like clothes clinging to around a runner’s legs. It wears them down and restricts their pace.
The Holy Spirit used the writer of Hebrews to urge each of us to strip off anything that will distract or otherwise impair successfully running the race of faith in God. While ‘weights’ are not sins, if there we refuse to remove a weight, innocent as it may be in itself, it will easily become an equal to sin that clings so closely around our legs that we get tangled up and fall.
This means it is vital that we cooperate with the Holy Spirit when He gently reveals to us the ‘weights’ that are continuing to inhibit our progress. This means we must forget comparison with other because no two believers are at precisely the same point in our faith journey. You and I can only seek God’s satisfaction with the continued changes we have been making in becoming more like Jesus. If He is pleased, all is well, so rejoice and give Him praise.
Remember, the fundamental thing God looks for in me is not flawlessness, because He can easily work out my flaws. But He cannot do a thing with clay that is hard, brittle, and crumbly. We normally take on those characteristics when we fail to surrender the hurts we received from others or ignore the Spirit’s whispers. Unforgiveness or willfully ignoring His gentle nudging blinds us and hardens our heart. We need to pay attention and respond as soon as you become aware of whatever He is drawing our attention to in our life. He will guide you and I into all truth.