Tangled

"Let us also lay aside every encumberance and the sin which so easily entangles us."  Hebrews 12:1

I am a Pinterest fan, some might say addict. 
I also am a quote lover, admirer, and collector.

These two together are a dangerous combination.  Quite possibly explosive.  My poor pinterest friends have to wade through pages, no it's not an exageration, of pinned quotes, sayings, and words to live by.   Not to mention nail polish design images, fashion ideas, and a miriad of other items that catch my eye. 

Then I saw this pin.  This pin was breath taking.  The words leaped off the small iPhone screen and into my heart.  Every word, full of meaning, pregnant with promise, and penetrated into my soul like a bite into an apple that can't be undone.

The words sunk into my heart, deeper and deeper.  Soon enough I changed this pinterest find into my screen saver on my phone.  I began thinking on this verse more and more.  I have come to a few conclusions for my own life.  Perhaps just for me, but friends, I have an idea that I am not alone.

Let us.  Let = allow.  Good, got it.  Allow.  Then us.  Okay God, I understand, we are in this together.  I am not in this plight alone.  I have brothers and sisters in Christ who deal with hang ups, hurts and habits like I do.  Whew.  That is encouraging.  I will keep digging.

Lay aside.  I am not good at laying anything down.  I am a "yes" girl that revels in pleasing people and being the one with all, or at least most, of the answers.  I pick up much more in life than I lay down.  I don't even get to sleep when I should.  I literally have a difficult time laying down.  Often times in the evening I could be nodding off in my living room while my husband says, "Sarah, go to bed!"  But no, do I let him win, and be right?  No way.  I push myself to the limits.  I can honestly say I have been this way for most of my life.  So, the two simple words of lay aside have already got me.  Lesson here, not everything is mine to pick up.  And, maybe, just maybe I should be laying down my body to rest and my cares of this world to the Lord. 

Every encumberance.  Every.  Not some.  Not a few.  Not the ones we want to or the ones I have to.  Every.  Every.  Every.  The words rang in my head day after day.  God is reminding me that He wants all of me.  Encumberance is a complex word.  I love words.  I could have been perfectly happy finding a place in this world as an author.  Wikipedia says "an encumberance is a right to, interest in, legal liability."  Because I like to be thorough I also looked at dictionary.com.  The words hit harder this time.  "Burden, or a claim (as a mortgage) against a property."  Wow.  This I did not see coming.  I work in a world of lending...of encumberances.  Thanks God for knowing what my little mind can grasp.  What encumberance, or burden, is on me right now?  To take it a step further, if I am God's creation, then I am His property.  If I am His property then I am to lay down (get rid of) every encumberance (all burdens) against my life in Jesus.  That's just how good God is.  He speaks to us in ways our heart can understand.

So, just seven words.  I am half way through this verse and I am already feeling as if I have been the girl who raised her hand, palm placed firmly against forhead and said...DUH. 

Finally a simple word.  And.  But, wait, that means there is more.  And is equals plus.  In addition to.  Uh oh.  I think I need to take a deep breath here.

The sin.  The sin is not specific to a bad habit, choice or act.  Sin is sin.  To sin is to miss the mark.  Growing up in church I have heard a lot of preachers.  Some good, some, well not so good.  But some, some have been great.  As a teenager I was taught by an amazing man of God what it means to be a leader.  This man may never know the impact he has had on my future.  God used him to shape me, pour into me and teach me.  This man taught me that to sin, was not a big bad messy choice.  It was simple.  It is to miss the mark.  The mark is laid out for all of us.  The Bible outlines what the mark is.  The mark is to live for God in a way that brings others to Him.  Does sin include poor choices, actions, behaviors, and habits?  Of course it does.  But those all come from a place in my heart.  When I want to honk at the lady who cut me off in the Wal-Mart parking lot, when a team member I work with is less than pleasant to interact with, when my son is on my last nerve, or my husband leaves his socks on the floor one too many times--this is when I need to be reminded of this verse.  The sin.  The sin in my life nailed Jesus to the cross.  The sin in my life caused my Jesus to die for my redepemption.  My sin.  The sin.  We all sin, but yet God chooses to love us.  He created us with free wills knowing that we would miss the mark.  I am humbled by the cross, by the price that paid my debt. 

Which so easilly entangles us.  Five words.  Powerful descriptive words.  Easily entangles us.  Why does this scripture remind us to lay aside every encumberance and the sin?  Here's why--because it so easily entangles us.  I know about tangles.  I have naturally curly hair.  When I was young my curly brown hair was beautiful if I do say so myself.  But, it tangled easily.  I can remember moments as a little girl of my Dad singing "Sunshine on my Sarah makes me happy".  He sang this to keep me occupied while he combed through tangles.  And I think he loved being a Daddy to a little girl.  I had long curly hair.  Ladies with naturally very curly hair I know without a doubt you know exactly what I am talking about.  Tangles, lots of tangles.  Get one untangled, and there are still so many more to untwist and unwind.

Entangle means to complicate, confuse, entwine into a confusing mass, snarl.  No wonder God warns us to lay aside every encumberance and sin.  He knows that this will only complicate our lives.  Confuse our minds.  Snarl up our plans, or more importantly His plans. 

I so desire a life that is God focused, spirit filled and brimming with purpose.  But to be honest, I do not lay aside every encumberance and the sin which so easily entangles me.  I do not let go of the burdens and I miss the mark in my life which without difficulty makes my life complicated, messy and confusing.

God will use anything to get our attention.  This week He used Pinterest.  I would like to say I read this in my 6 AM morning devotions.  No, I read this while my husband played a video game in our living room at 10 PM.  I will never profess to be the perfect follower of Christ, but I do strive to be honest and humble. 

My prayer is uncomplicated.  God, help me lay down and not pick back up the burdens of this world.  Help me to hit the mark.  And when I miss it and sin, remind me and let my spirit be ready to listen so my life is simple, straight forward and without confusion.  Thanks God for loving me enough to use even Pinterest to teach me. 

I am living a blessed life.

Be blessed,
Sarah