Lay Down that Weight

 Lay Down that Weight

For years, I was taught that the “sin and weight that so easily holds us back ( or besets us) from Hebrews 12:1 was the weight of the world- or the weight of my pride- or the weight of all the things we hold before God.

All of these things were “keeping us from God” and ”preventing us from running our race”

But no.

My friends I truly believe that weight we were told to put aside were the bonds of religion. 

The weight of dress code

The weight of legalism 

The weight of dogma 

The weight of patriarchy 

The weight of roles in the home 

The weight of pulpit convictions 

The weight of fear 

The weight of perfectionism 

The weight of Pharisaical holiness

The weight of (insert here) 

For the weight is what holds us back. Keeps us from fully seeing God as he his, and rising to our fullest potential.

These weights focus us on what we are told is Christ like- yet ignores how Christ really walked in the world. 

These weights curb our compassion and empathy, and begins our view of others as less than or just souls to be harvested. 

These weights can cause serious mental health issues - because no one can obtain the perfection set before them. 

So lay down those weights.

Feel the sweet relief of dropping every expectation and learning about Christ through lense not tainted by dogmatic world views. 

Seeing that Christ loves us in our humanity - that he walked and loved those of minority and outcasts. He loved people where they are, and not for what he put on them to be. 

Let go of legalistic expectations for yourself and see God for who He is- outside of the bubble or box you were told He was in. 

You will find a more compassionate and loving friend 

He sits with you without judgment of your situation 

The true liberty of Christ is not how many boxes we check in our religion- it is how we throw that checklist away and truly work out our belief for ourselves.

-Amber Schultz 

2023