“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity].”
Hebrews 12:1-2 (Amplified)
One of my least favorite tasks in life has been to pull out weeds in our flower beds, knowing at the same time that if I don’t do it, the weeds will take over. This is very similar to our own lives. If I don’t rid my life of the weights that are encumbering me, they will put a chokehold on my vision and purpose for my life and can eventually keep me from my destiny. Mike Friedrich, a great friend, once said, “What we tolerate, we give permission to exist in our life.” So, the question is this: are there any weeds in your life that you are tolerating that are entangling and putting a chokehold on your destiny?
I want to encourage you to make this declaration in your life: I declare that I will no longer tolerate things that are weighing me down and I will refocus my thoughts on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith.