This past week, the Lord impressed two things on my heart: discipleship and keeping my eyes on eternity.It’s surprisingly easy to lose sight of God’s Kingdom as we move through everyday life. We slip into familiar rhythms and don’t notice when we’re being weighed down—or even quietly ensnared.
The Lord has had to call me out more than once on things I barely considered. He spoke plainly about gossip and revealed hidden pride—issues I never imagined, yet He sees and knows me completely.Maybe for you it’s something else: exaggerating a story, telling “little” lies, prayerlessness, gluttony—habits that feel harmless but quietly entangle the soul.
That’s why I’m writing about keeping eternity in view. Yes, it’s good to prosper in every way, but it’s far more vital that our spirits prosper and stay ready to return to the Father of all spirits.Even small habits can become heavy weights. I remember when the Lord first cautioned me about gossip. As I reflected, I realized that even casual comments about people who weren’t present—even celebrities—still counted. How does analyzing someone’s outfit or lifestyle add any value to me or anyone else?
Jesus reminds us: “Everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36) . With that said, I would love us to delve more into what God’s word says about the matter. I shall attempt to expound on Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us – Hebrews 12:1
We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses:
The first and about the only time Jesus Christ spoke about witnesses was in Acts 1:8 – but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. This verse speaks of the Lord’s promise of power to those who obey His instruction to ask and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. The verse also points us to the assurance of becoming witnesses of Jesus Christ as soon as we are endued with power from on high. Who is a witness?, you may ask – in layman’s terms, a witness can attest to the occurrence of an event or events. In courtrooms, witnesses are people who have testimonies about an occurrence or an event. As we see in Acts 1:8, for as many as receive the power of the Holy Ghost become witnesses, can attest to the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord, and of course, witness Him from wherever we are to the ends of the earth.
So when the writer of Hebrews speaks about a cloud of witnesses, which I imagine to mean an innumerable number of witnesses. My mind imagines it literally – that we have so many women and men of faith who have gone ahead of us, who are still with us, and are witnesses to the power of our Lord Jesus Christ; they are witnesses to this new life in Christ Jesus, they are witneses and can attest to the fact that living in the newness of Christ Jesus is doable and achievable. I love how the Message Translation puts it,
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it – Hebrews 12:1
There is so a great number of witnesses cheering us on, rooting for us to run this faith race set ahead of us, and like Jesus, the beginning and the end, the author and the completer of our race, we would be able to enter into eternal Glory
Let us lay aside every weight:
The writer starts the chapter by cheering us on, encouraging us to press in, press on on this journey, then continues by pointing out the very things that have hindered people from finishing this race strong, the very things that have deterred people from entering into eternal glory. One of those things the writer describes as “weight.” As I write the word weight, all I can think of is the lyrics from the song, “the weight of His (God’s) Glory, however, the weight the writer writes about here is the extra baggages that people tend to hold on to, those extras that tend to weigh people down that prempts them from running the endurance race of faith. This weight could span from the weight of regrets from past actions, it could be unforgiveness in the heart, it could be bitterness, or one or all of the fruits of the flesh…. The writer admonishes us to lay these things aside. Imagine Jesus Christ dwelt on the betrayal of Judas while on His way to Calvary, He sure would have been a lot more weighed down and unable to accomplish the great task ahead of Him. Dwelling on those negative thoughts only holds us back, slows us down from seeing and running ahead. Judas was unable to lay aside the weight that held him down, the weight of regret, anguish, sorrow, and bitterness; on the other hand, Peter, my favorite man from scripture, was so quick to lay aside the very weight that tried to hinder him from finishing strong. Peter repented of his sin quickly; he let go of every emotional turmoil the enemy might have tried to throw his way – and he went ahead to accomplish so much for the kingdom of God. Learn from the life and times of Apostle Peter, lay aside every weight that is trying to blur your vision, pull you back, or hinder you from staying on track for heaven.
the sin which easily ensnares us:
The very next thing the writer points out is the sin that easily ensnares; you know it sounds like those kinds of sin that gradually crawls in and latches on to its victim. The sin that easily ensnares seems like something that starts seemingly harmless, then goes ahead to destroy its victim. Judas didn’t become a betrayer overnight; it started with little foxes here and there. Ananais and Sapphira, who lied about the proceeds of the sale of their property, are great examples of people who allowed sin that easily ensnare them; they never imagined that would be their last moment on earth. If they had known, they would have stuck to the truth. By the Grace of God, let us live with that consciousness that the race could end any day and time – would we be ready to take on our crown of life? – James 1:12.
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us:
It feels as though the writer emphasizes endurance, almost as if it’s a non-negotiable for completing the race set before us. From what I’ve seen in life—and from the stories of those who have gone ahead—endurance is undeniably part of this journey of faith. You know, sometime this year, I had to participate in a 1.5-mile run, oh! I hate running! But I had to do it and even do it within a certain time. Throughout the course of the run, I literally had to speak to myself- “one lap closer”, “the Lord loves you so much”, “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you”, I kept speaking to myself throughout the run. It was hard, but thanks to God, I finished it. I had my mind focused on the finish line and whatever it would take to get there, I must even if it entails speaking and focusing on God’s love for me. Oh! How that helped me, and of course, pacing myself. So my dear, as you set out each day, remind yourself whose child you are, remind yourself to set your affection and gaze on the things above, remind yourself that nothing in this world is worth the eternal glory yet to be revealed to you and for you. Remind yourself that heaven is the goal and nothing, absolutely nothing, will rob us of our inheritance in Christ Jesus.
Amen.