The writer of Hebrews tells us what to do when burdens hinder our progress:
“…Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish…” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
It’s impossible to focus our eyes on our problems and on Jesus at the same time. That means in order to keep our eyes on Jesus, we must look away from every other thing that distracts us.
Have you ever heard anyone say: “If you are too heavenly-minded, you won’t be any earthly good”? When a Christian makes that statement, it can sound like such wise advice. Yet after many years serving God, I’ve come to realize that the Bible doesn’t teach us that. In fact, it teaches us just the opposite. If we’re not heavenly-minded, we won’t be much use to God at all.
According to First Peter 2:9, God chose us for the purpose of showing others “the goodness of God,” and it’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4). In fact, we have a responsibility to live an abundantly blessed life so that unbelievers will see how good God is!
Notice what the psalmist says the blessing has stored up for us: “Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world” (Psalm 31:19 NLT).
According to this passage, we have a duty to live in the blessings of God that are stockpiled for us because the world is watching us. The world will never be impressed with a Church that is unsuccessful, poor, powerless, and weak. The world is anxiously waiting for the Church to demonstrate the goodness of God.
When our sights are set on heavenly things, we can reach into the spirit realm by faith and take possession of those blessings. If we want to live in resurrection power, we’ll have to lift our sights to the realities of Heaven where the Anointed One and His anointing reside.
Isaiah 10:27 (KJV) tells us what the anointing will do:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”
The anointing of God is the place where we find power! When we refuse to focus on problems and set our sights on the power in the anointing, every burden can be removed and every yoke destroyed. The anointing is the place of power where sickness and disease, lack, depression, relationship problems, rebellion, and every other problem is destroyed. That’s why the kingdom of darkness will do its best to keep us distracted and focused on problems, because within the anointing lies everything we need!
As believers, we already have the anointing abiding within us: “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you…” (1 John 2:27 NKJV). The Message makes its abiding power especially clear: “But they’re no match for what is embedded deeply within you — Christ’s anointing, no less!”
Wow! What a powerful statement! Once that becomes a reality to us, no problem will be able to prevail over us!
