Weights, Worries & WearinessSample

LETTING GO OF WEIGHTS

Some athletes run with weights intentionally, to build their endurance and stamina, so that when they run weight-free on race day, they feel more robust than ever. Unfortunately, however, many of us carry weights that do the opposite. These weights wear us down to despair, and one of the core reasons for this is a lack of boundaries.

The biblical meaning of the word ‘weight' found in Hebrews 12:1 is defined as a burden, an encumbrance (someone who is dependent on another for support), or something that impedes a runner from running their race as they should – i.e. a sin. We all carry weights, to some degree, in our lives. Weights can look like responsibilities at work or home, dependents like your kids, or concern for those in your community. These weights are normal and form part of daily life. However, it’s when you pick up and carry weights that don’t belong to you that problems arise and the potential for burnout increases.

‘Weights’, as they’re described here, are often picked up due to having poor boundaries. This is often based on deceptive thinking around the ‘need to be needed’ that many get hooked by. You see, when you’re ‘needed’, it puts you in the driver’s seat – you are in control – and so, the potential of being rejected decreases. In this way, by picking up the weights of others, you may actually be attempting to decrease your own fears of rejection or abandonment. Here’s the problem: doing this will fast-track burnout and potentially cause resentment. In scripture, it’s clear that we need to carry our own load, and that come Judgement Day, we will have to give an account of ourselves. In other words, taking ownership is biblical.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to ‘strip off every weight that slows us down’. I believe it’s important to be proactive in setting time aside to reflect intentionally on what needs to be stripped off. Remember, Jesus said that his yoke is light. What I love about Jesus is that he modelled to us what it means to live a life of obedience to the Father, as opposed to being hooked by the unending needs of this world. In John 5:1-16 we read about crowds of sick people who were lying by the pool of Bethesda. Jesus healed only one man. I believe this is because Jesus was faithful to what his Father asked him to do and was not hooked by the need.

Consider the weights that you are carrying that don’t belong to you. For example, you may be carrying:

• the weight of responsibility for another’s growth;
• the weight of burdens not owned by others;
• the weight of provision for those refusing to invest in themselves;
• the weight of relational investments that are one-sided; or
• the weight of rejection for fear of saying ‘no’ to another.

PRAY

Lord, I pray for discernment in identifying the weights that are weighing me down and robbing me of the joy of serving you. I pray for wisdom when it comes to placing healthy boundaries between what you have called me to and the everyday pressures that I face. Help me to discern what is mine to carry and what I need to strip off. Amen.