Sunday’s message by Pastor Jason was a deeply encouraging reminder that our stumbling blocks don’t have to stop our race. We can look to Christ and His forewarnings to guide us and to actually prevent us from stumbling.
I was sitting with the statement of “don’t stumble at your guilt and sin,” and thinking about how Pastor Jason mentioned that there are some of us who have a hard time admitting we sin…we have a hard time saying out loud that we actually did something against God. I have been in this boat many times…but my mind also drifted to those of us that, on the contrary, live in this constant state of guilt and shame.
I have sat down with many close friends who deeply love the Lord yet are unable to come out of the weight of the shame they carry. They are fully aware that they are the ones who committed the sin, that they continuously repeat the sin, and that the flesh is still wreaking havoc inside of them — even though these friends are filled with the Spirit and bearing all kinds of fruit in their lives.
It is as Paul shares in Romans 7:15-18 when he says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (NIV)
We can stay very stuck here if we are not careful…examining the parts of us that still struggle with the flesh, and continuing to heap on the shame and guilt because of it; like being stuck in the mud, unable to break free or get out.
How does one move from continually stumbling over this stumbling block…to not stumbling at all?
To be clear, I don’t know if it is possible for us to ever “not stumble at all” — we are human after all! But, I believe what Pastor Jason was sharing on Sunday was that we don’t have to keep stumbling over these blocks, because if we listen to Jesus’ advice…there is a kind of freedom that can come. This freedom leads to less stumbling…and more “pressing on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14).
How do we notice that our sin and guilt have become a stumbling block? That is really the first step…noticing that this thing is blocking us from running our race well.
If you find yourself constantly entertaining these thoughts/questions, it might be time to pray about this particular stumbling block of guilt and sin. Thoughts like…
Why can I never get this right?
Why am I not further along in this journey by now?
Maybe if I try harder, I can finally overcome this sin.
Am I praying deeply or strongly enough?
Will I always struggle with this?
At the core, all of these questions are hinting at something that I believe none of us really want to agree with: that my works will get me closer to where I need to be in Christ.
We know that this statement is theologically wrong, right? And yet, we still operate as though we can “fix” our spiritual lives with our own effort.
Here’s where it gets tricky…if we truly believe that trying harder will get us to where we need to go…then when we fall, we are deeply disappointed in ourselves.
Like Paul, we cry out “I do not understand what I do!!!”
And yet, there is a Savior who fully understands our complicated hearts. Not only that, but He also knows how to expose in us this performative Christianity where we believe we can do it all ourselves.
The disappointment runs deep if the disappointment was rooted in what we could do in our own strength.
This word from Pastor Jason was extremely convicting and encouraging at the same time: The Holy Spirit shows you what is already there. He is simply exposing sin that already exists. We don’t need to be surprised by it, we don’t need to hide because of it — we simply need to agree with Christ, confess, and keep soldiering on!
The exposing of our sin was not to stop our race. The exposing was to help us keep running it well.
In Hebrews 12:1, the author talks about “laying aside every weight” as we run our race. I love the way the Message explains this concept, because it really brings to life what happens when we are able to get over these stumbling blocks and run our race well:
“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. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
If we are to run well, we must come back to this simple truth: the weights that we are laying aside should never be a stumbling block. We must keep running.
At the end of it all, we will see His glorious face at the finish line. So let’s not grow weary during the race, when He calls us to lay some things down. It all matters, it is all part of the process, and it all leads us closer and closer to Him.
I was sitting with the statement of “don’t stumble at your guilt and sin,” and thinking about how Pastor Jason mentioned that there are some of us who have a hard time admitting we sin…we have a hard time saying out loud that we actually did something against God. I have been in this boat many times…but my mind also drifted to those of us that, on the contrary, live in this constant state of guilt and shame.
I have sat down with many close friends who deeply love the Lord yet are unable to come out of the weight of the shame they carry. They are fully aware that they are the ones who committed the sin, that they continuously repeat the sin, and that the flesh is still wreaking havoc inside of them — even though these friends are filled with the Spirit and bearing all kinds of fruit in their lives.
It is as Paul shares in Romans 7:15-18 when he says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (NIV)
We can stay very stuck here if we are not careful…examining the parts of us that still struggle with the flesh, and continuing to heap on the shame and guilt because of it; like being stuck in the mud, unable to break free or get out.
How does one move from continually stumbling over this stumbling block…to not stumbling at all?
To be clear, I don’t know if it is possible for us to ever “not stumble at all” — we are human after all! But, I believe what Pastor Jason was sharing on Sunday was that we don’t have to keep stumbling over these blocks, because if we listen to Jesus’ advice…there is a kind of freedom that can come. This freedom leads to less stumbling…and more “pressing on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14).
How do we notice that our sin and guilt have become a stumbling block? That is really the first step…noticing that this thing is blocking us from running our race well.
If you find yourself constantly entertaining these thoughts/questions, it might be time to pray about this particular stumbling block of guilt and sin. Thoughts like…
Why can I never get this right?
Why am I not further along in this journey by now?
Maybe if I try harder, I can finally overcome this sin.
Am I praying deeply or strongly enough?
Will I always struggle with this?
At the core, all of these questions are hinting at something that I believe none of us really want to agree with: that my works will get me closer to where I need to be in Christ.
We know that this statement is theologically wrong, right? And yet, we still operate as though we can “fix” our spiritual lives with our own effort.
Here’s where it gets tricky…if we truly believe that trying harder will get us to where we need to go…then when we fall, we are deeply disappointed in ourselves.
Like Paul, we cry out “I do not understand what I do!!!”
And yet, there is a Savior who fully understands our complicated hearts. Not only that, but He also knows how to expose in us this performative Christianity where we believe we can do it all ourselves.
The disappointment runs deep if the disappointment was rooted in what we could do in our own strength.
This word from Pastor Jason was extremely convicting and encouraging at the same time: The Holy Spirit shows you what is already there. He is simply exposing sin that already exists. We don’t need to be surprised by it, we don’t need to hide because of it — we simply need to agree with Christ, confess, and keep soldiering on!
The exposing of our sin was not to stop our race. The exposing was to help us keep running it well.
In Hebrews 12:1, the author talks about “laying aside every weight” as we run our race. I love the way the Message explains this concept, because it really brings to life what happens when we are able to get over these stumbling blocks and run our race well:
“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. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
If we are to run well, we must come back to this simple truth: the weights that we are laying aside should never be a stumbling block. We must keep running.
At the end of it all, we will see His glorious face at the finish line. So let’s not grow weary during the race, when He calls us to lay some things down. It all matters, it is all part of the process, and it all leads us closer and closer to Him.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.