What it felt like to be PRECIOUS for a night...
Posted: Wednesday, November 3, 2010 by Anthony in
Many of you who are friends with me on facebook or who follow me on twitter (@anthonytheseer) are well aware of my love/hate relationship with the movie Precious. Despite its Oscar nominations and serious dramatic tone, I found it slightly comical and at times hyperbolic. Therefore, when it came time for me to choose a character for my Halloween costume, only one seemed fitting: Precious! I knew it would be funny for my friends to see me transform into this beloved entity, but I had no idea that by the end of the night Precious would teach me some valuable lessons.
I don't even know where to begin. The drama started early while I was trying to get ready. It typically doesn't take me long to prepare to go out. I usually just shave my head, jump in the shower, and put some clothes on. However, I can't articulate the frustration I felt as it took me over two hours to apply makeup, fix my wig, wrestle with panty hose, and adjust my wardrobe perfectly over a fat suit. I thought the worst was over until I got in the car and realized I was about to have a heat stroke. Even with the temperature hovering in the low 40s and the windows down for the duration of the trip, I still had difficultly making myself comfortable. Once I arrived and began to walk around I noticed I was moving a lot more slowly and breathing more heavily. The extra weight I was carrying was definitely having an adverse effect on me. I decided right then, before the MAZ party even started, I would not drink ANYTHING but water all night. I thought for sure THAT would solve all of my problems, until the night progressed and I realized that there was no way for me to pee without taking everything off. I couldn't completely enjoy the rest of the evening because my only concern was getting home as quickly as possible and running straight to the bathroom.
This morning when I woke up and started praying, I felt led to read Hebrews 12:1-3. It very simply instructs us to strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race that God sets before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of how faithful God has been to me and how blessed my life has been as a result of seeking His will for me, I am CONVINCED that He has a plan for us all that exceeds our wildest dreams. However, there are times in my life when I feel like God is moving slowly to bring things to pass that He wills for my life. My "Precious" experience coupled with today's scripture changes my mindset. It is NOT God who moves slowly, it is ME! The moment He declares a thing, it becomes real and immutable. The problem lies in my ability to respond with speed and patience to see it come to pass.
The scripture says RUN (speed) with ENDURANCE (patience). While I am blaming God for being slow, He is trying to get me to understand that it is all of the extra baggage and weight that I'm carrying that slows me down, not Him. He is so committed to helping me RUN into destiny that my sin doesn't even trip Him up. Again, He says, the sin that so easily trips US up. He has forever removed EVERY excuse for me NOT to reach my full potential. If I can't move quickly, have difficulty breathing, and am frustrated; it's probably because I'm carrying extra weight that wasn't intended for me. Just like it took me over two hours to become someone I'm not for Halloween, it took a long time to gain this extra weight that I'm carrying in my life. However, just like it only took a second for me to strip once I got home, it doesn't have to take a long time to get rid of my baggage in real life.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. The accelerant to my healing has been a meaningful relationship with Jesus, a growing knowledge of what His sacrifice earned for me, and a relentless focus on His goodness over my lack thereof. I know people who went through the same stuff I experienced (molestation, being cheated on, poverty, etc), and many of them still struggle with the horrific things that have occurred. I, on the other hand, have been able to escape EVERY trap that was set to alter my destiny.
Because I was molested, I questioned my sexuality as a preteen. I never had homosexual desires but I simply wondered if what had been done to me meant I would have to carry weight that didn't belong to me. The answer is NO! I was cheated on by the only girl I thought I'd ever love and who would ever love me. I then began to wonder if I'd have to carry the weight of being bitter, insecure, and scared to open up again for the rest of my life. I also questioned if I then would become a cheater as well to protect myself from ever getting hurt again. The answer is NO! I've lost jobs, cars, homes and thus began to carry the weight of poverty on my shoulders. I pondered if I'd always be in the hole and live a life full of financial stress. Again, the answer is NO!
The more I grow in relationship WITH and knowledge OF Christ, the more weight and sin I lay aside, and the faster I'm able to run. His sacrifice and love is so great that my extra weight and my sin does NOT hinder Him from helping or blessing me. It is, however, a major hinderance in my ability to receive and accept His favor in my life. If sin and baggage could stop God from blessing me then I would have NOTHING! Matthew 5:45 states that He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and unjust alike. In other words, He doesn't allow my mistakes to stop Him from being active in my life. But, if I choose to allow people and situations in my life to cause me to gain weight, I'll become more and more inactive in my own life.
ANTicpate more of God's favor as you understand that the weight you are carrying doesn't stop Him from getting to you but it severely slows your response to Him. I am a witness that years of weight, pain, and sin can be cast off in a nanosecond if we understand the power of Jesus' blood over the devil and our past. I speak healing and freedom from guilt, condemnation, and all manner of diseases! Lose some weight today family and start RUNNING!
Wow this is just what I needed to here today! Glad I clicked on this, thank you