Hebrews 12:1–2 (NLT)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…”
God’s Laws Never Change
One of the most awesome things about our loving and powerful God is that He established laws that never change. Gravity doesn’t stop working because we don’t understand it or because we wish it would. If you drop something, it falls. Every time. The same is true spiritually. Our Heavenly Father has established spiritual principles that are just as dependable. When we carry things He never intended us to carry, like fear, bitterness, pride, unforgiveness, unhealthy dependence, or hidden sin, they weigh down our souls. The heavier the burden, the harder it becomes to move forward in the freedom Christ purchased for us.
Sometimes the Weight Isn’t What We Think
When most people think about success, they think about gaining something—a better job, more money, greater influence, or another opportunity. But God often begins somewhere completely different. Before He adds to our lives, He first removes what would keep us from carrying what He desires to give us.
Sometimes the greatest blessing isn’t what God places in our hands. It’s what He lovingly asks us to lay down.
Fear. Pride. Unforgiveness. The need for approval. Self-reliance. Old ways of thinking. Hidden wounds we never surrendered to Him. These things can attach themselves to our souls, adding weight we were never meant to carry. They hinder our spiritual growth, cloud our judgment, and keep us from walking freely with Christ.
Before God entrusts us with greater responsibility, He often prepares us by making us lighter. He isn’t trying to take something from us. He’s removing what would keep us from becoming more like Jesus Christ and faithfully fulfilling the purpose He has prepared for our lives.
That’s why Hebrews 12:1 tells us to strip off every weight that slows us down. Notice it doesn’t say every sin. It says every weight. Some things may not be sinful in themselves, yet they can still hinder our spiritual growth, distract us from God’s Will, or keep us from following Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. Those weights deserve our attention because anything that keeps us from drawing closer to Him ultimately keeps us from becoming all He created us to be.
Jesus Shows Us the Way Up
Before Jesus healed the sick, preached to the multitudes, or performed a single miracle, something remarkable happened. At His baptism, He declared His complete willingness to obey the Father. Matthew 3:15 (NLT) records His words: “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” Jesus wasn’t trying to earn the Father’s love. He was walking in perfect obedience because He loved the Father.
Then something extraordinary happened.
As Jesus came up out of the water, heaven opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father declared His pleasure in His beloved Son.
Notice the order. Before Jesus began His public ministry, He publicly declared His willingness to carry out the Father’s Will. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, equipping Him for the work He had come to accomplish.
Success Begins with Surrender
Our world teaches us to climb higher by accumulating more. God’s Kingdom teaches us to rise by surrendering more.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we could never accomplish on our own. We were never meant to carry the weight of self-reliance, fear, or striving. Christ came so we could walk in freedom, led by His Spirit instead of driven by our own strength. Real success isn’t measured by titles, possessions, or applause. It is measured by a life that increasingly reflects Jesus Christ.
The lighter your soul becomes, the more freely you’ll walk with the One who has already made the way. ■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“The Weight That Keeps You From Rising”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring Christian Women to live boldly through God’s Word.
