Let us lay aside every weight 

Heb12:1

             Unforgiveness and judgment are weights that produce anxiety, proneness to error and accidents, infertile faith, unanswered prayer, and unremitted sin.  All of which will cause sickness, disease, poverty, unhappiness, alienation, loneliness, and ultimately death.  They are twin sisters of the flesh which must be crucified and mortified in order to attain inner peace, spiritual receptivity, freedom,  successful prayer, a sound witness, and holy communication.  Jesus tells us that unless we forgive, we will not be forgiven (Mk11:26) and Judge not lest ye be judged (Mt7:1) and no one who is not free from sin likes to be judged.  All of which tells us we must learn the secret of letting it go: the judgment, the bitterness, the resentment, the condescension, the annoyance, and the self righteousness in order to be free and useful to God.  How do we do this?

            St. Paul in Hebrews tells us to lay it aside to run the race and we are to look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.  Getting free is a work of grace so unless we enter the race God will not be able to help us to let it go and, consciously or not, we will continue to live with the consequences of having weight on our soul.  So many Christians, well intentioned Christians, carry the weight of unforgiveness and judgment and wonder why they are not living in victory? Wonder why they are prone to sickness and disease? Wonder why they are unsuccessful in prayer?  It is a question of devoting your life to God, spending quality time in the word, spending quality time in silence, spending quality time with nature: all of which means forsaking the world for God.  We must believe the work that Jesus has begun, he is able to finish, and we continually look to Jesus to deliver us.  But we must enter the race.

            It is critical that we see ourselves as we truly are.  St Paul tells us that we see through a glass (a mirror) darkly but then face to face (1Cor13:12).  Unless we evaluate ourselves according to Jesus, then we will accept sin, sickness, anger, lust, jealousy, and the other works of the flesh as the unalterable human condition.  But if we believe God can work miracles, not only for healing, but can change our human nature and disposition, we will enter the race, and if we do, at some point we will gain the victory.    We will operate from Christian love and we will be free, light, burden-less, Spirit filled and Spirit led and a true witness of the love of God in Jesus Christ and a powerhouse for God.

            Jesus was fully human as well as divine and he was tempted every way we are yet without sin.  He knows the battle and he knows what it will take to win the war.  Do not be afraid to measure your life by him and his standards.  He is the author and finisher of our faith.  Look to him and be made whole.  He knows, he understands, and only he can deliver.  Trust in him and lean not on your own understanding.  He is loving and kind but he expects us to let him reign over us.  If we do, we will be able to let it go and live in freedom and peace.

 
amen