I enjoy walking out in nature, enjoying the beauty of God's creation. When I was young, I explored all through the woods near my home. However, there were times when I'd step into a bramble, a twisted, thorny patch of foliage that wrapped around my foot and ankle. The result was two-fold: the briars stopped my forward progress, and they hurt! I'd have to stop and try to disentangle myself, being careful not to let the briars prick my skin any more than they had already. After disentangling, and with my ankles stinging, I'd continue on, vowing to watch more carefully for those nasty vines in the future. Hmmm...but is that the best strategy, to keep our eyes focused on potential pitfalls?
There was nothing alluring about those briar brambles, nothing seductive, nothing lovely. Still, they were very effective in "tripping me up". In our lives, in our Christian "walk", though, there are beautiful, shiny sins that trip us up even more effectively. These are spiritual briars. We can read about them in Hebrews 12:1.
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Berean Study Bible
The highlighted phrase in this passage is also translated variously as "the sin which clings so closely", "the sin that so easily ensnares us", "sin that distracts us", or "the closely besetting sin".
It is impossible to walk through this life and avoid contact with spiritual briars. These are highly individual. What is a briar to one person may or may not be to another. We must be careful to recognize that and to have compassion on our brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle with something we do not. One of the most heartbreaking shows I've ever watched on TV is called "Intervention". I almost cannot watch the stories of folks who have taken one dose of an illegal drug and then become so hopelessly hooked on it (and usually on others) that their lives are ruined. Years ago, I was much more condescending to folks in that situation. Then, I realized that my pitfalls, my briars, have just as powerful a hold on me.
It is important to recognize, though, that we Christians are not helpless sheep. Our own set of briars need not "slaughter" us. We have choices, specifically choices about where to keep our focus.
First of all, we can watch out for them and do all in our power to avoid them. If you know a particular situation is a temptation for your particular "briar", avoid going there.
Second, it is important that we not give up. Today's passage speaks of endurance and perseverance, which are essential to the resplendent walk. Sometimes, I get so discouraged, feeling so hopelessly caught in the briars, that I want to just give up and give in. Don't you? It is crucial that, no matter how many times we find ourselves in the briars, we take ourselves to the Savior for confession, forgiveness and restoration - - - that we keep going. His forgiveness is a bottomless well. We must not just give up and give in to wallowing in our pet sins.
Third....Get help. This is not a sign of weakness. God uses others as His agents of liberation, of freedom, of peace. On some of those occasions when I was mired in briars, I needed a companion to help "disentangle me", someone who would bend down to help me get my foot and ankle out without further damage. There are times that you are so hurt and so paralyzed by your entrapment you can't get out without intensive help. And, that's ok. Ask for it. Get it.
Fourth, and MOST importantly, look unwaveringly at Jesus. Of all the encouraging examples given in Hebrews 11, His in chapter 12 trumps them all.
1. Jesus was motivated by "future joy" (the joy that lay before Him) - - that glorification which would be given Him by Father God upon the finishing of His earthly mission. A similar joy should motivate us! This temporal world is not all there is! Joy awaits us, when our race is run, when our time here is done.
2. Jesus endured a cruel crown of thorns, so much more damaging than the briars that nip at our heels. He shed His very lifeblood. As verse 4 above points out, most of us have not resisted our entangling sins to the point of shedding our own blood, have we?
That last verse really brings the hammer down, doesn't it? It is a powerful dose of "Hey now!!"
When our eyes are fixed steadfastly on Jesus, our perspective is powerful and righteous.
Out walking on this sunny morning I snapped the picture at the top of this post. I'm not a huge fan of vultures, but this one, wings outstretched, soaking up the morning sun, surveying the scene from his exalted viewpoint, was striking. His view was so very different from mine....
Where we keep our focus is our most potent weapon in the battle against our "besetting sins". I find that, when I sin, it is because my perspective has gotten "off". I lose sight of the goal. Instead of re-focusing my eyes on Jesus, I grab the "shiny object" and soon find my feet in the briars.
But, as D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "If we only spent more of our time in looking at Christ we should soon forget ourselves."
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me a new heart when you saved me all those years ago. Please continue to work on my eyes. Amen.
Source:
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/fixing-our-eyes-on-jesus/
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