Everything that Hinders

It's funny (in a not-so-funny way) how Satan knows our weaknesses.  He knows the weak places.  He knows how to plant the old thoughts so that we might feel the depths of defeat.  He knows how to plant the thoughts of entitlement that make us feel cheated with what we have.  With what's been given. We become blind to blessing. 

Failure, the enemy speaks over us at every turn. 

In short, he knows how to ambush us.  He knows how to dangle just the right carrot in front of our faces that might look so appealing by the world's standards.  Temptation.  Oh, temptation.  Just when things were feeling smooth.

Throw off everything that hinders. I keep hearing it.  Over and over. 

When the path begins to feel long and tedious, sometimes it just feels easier to take my own path.  Drown out the truth.  Do my own thing.  But I know full well where that gets me.  Every time. 

Throw off everything that hinders.  Again. 

If you think about it, the warfare and the struggle are really a sight problem.  At least they start that way.  We lose sight of the goal.  The prize.  We take our gaze off of our Rescuer.  We begin comparing our lives to the lives of others.  We begin to think we deserve more.  We want the shiny things the world has to offer.  All of the sudden, it's not about God.  It's not about others.  It's about us.  And we've missed it.  We've missed the whole point. 

"...Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus..."  Hebrews 12: 1-2

This is the conclusion I continue coming to.  Throw off everything that doesn't work.  Everything that is not good.  It doesn't mean be perfect.  It doesn't mean never make mistakes.  But gosh, it means open up your eyes to what is good.  Blessing.  Take hold of it.  Do not waste energy on the things of this world.  Be thankful for what is now.  Because it is in the thankfulness--in having a heart full of thanks--where blessing resides.