Is It Helpful?

It was Christmas, I was handing out candy canes with the Firemen, and myself was dressed in the uniform too, which was kind of heavy, and just awkward because I wasn't used to the outfit. The truck was all detailed with holiday wares like lights, and wooden cut outs of favorite cartoon characters and such, it was a nice night, with nice people. The idea was once we got to the starting point, I was to jump out with everyone else while it was moving; however I didn't understand the concept of momentum when jumping out of a moving vehicle, fell got my feet all tangled all in the lights that were along the bottom of the truck, while this family who had just received their candy canes, watched in horror as this firefighter (to their knowledge) fell, and just about became a paralytic in front of them.

 We've all been tangled by something, whether it's blankets and you feel trapped, or when you're playing with skip rope, maybe trying to sow or knit... maybe fishing... We've all been there. In my situation, I wasn't actually wrapped up in anything that was wrong. No one did anything wrong (other than maybe not explain to me that I should run off with the truck, as opposed to plant my feet when jumping), but nothing innately sinful took place. Often times we as Christians think that it's sin that always traps, entangles or slows us down, but let's look at what the Bible says for a moment.

Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders AND the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I'm going to point out something here that often isn't touched on... "Everything that hinders..." 

Maybe another way of asking this is, "Is it helpful?"

We ask questions like, "How far is too far?" or "How much is too much?" "When is enough, enough"?  I think we think we are innocent in asking these questions, because we authentically don't want to go against Jesus, and do want to follow him. However, what the real motivation there is, "How close to sinning can I get to sinning, without actually sinning?" 

That mindset is so close to the pharisees and that of religious people that it actually goes against the heart and mind of Christ. 

Interesting that God simply asks us... "Is. It. Helpful?"

I think we all know what sin is, and if we don't, we can go on Google - or turn to a Bible - and find out.
It really is key to note the word and that is found in that passage in Hebrews.
Just because it slips us up doesn't make it sinful. If it is sinful, it easily entangles.

If it slows you down (hinderance/unhelpful thing), or tangles you up (sin), get rid of it.

One thing we often want to do is carry extra stuff with us - or we just don't deal with it. Churches are HORRIBLE for this.  Keeping stuff in storage closets that will never be used again because a) Someone might have put effort into it, b) we MIGHT use it in 20 years.
etc. I'm not saying that keeping these things is wrong, but is it helpful?

Give your life space, give your life the ability to move. Get rid of the 'stuff'. If it's not helpful, get rid of it. You know how you get a better night sleep when your house isn't messy and cluttered? Know how you're less stressed? In the same way, do similar things in your walk with Jesus.

Lately, I was watching a TV show, and like so often we do, my wife and I stopped watching a show. She was willing to let me keep watching it on my own, but I said, and even though it made me frustrated, I said, "Well, I don't gain anything in life by watching this show, so it's ok, I'll just stop watching it." Guess what, i dont' miss it, don't even remember the name of it, and ultimately it affected nothing. Alternatively, what if I did keep watching it? What could I say about it?

If you are watching things like Game of Thrones, House of Cards, etc... You're probably not at all helping your walk with Jesus. Consistent, explict nudity and sex and swearing never helped anyone's walk with Jesus. I don't know if you never knew that, but now you do. But I doubt you didn't know that. That's why you became calloused and almost violently defend your watching of these kinds of shows. Jesus always called people out of those things.

Even more practically how does this line up?
When you're tempted to date someone in high school... it's not necessarily a sin, but ask yourself, "Is it helpful?" Note: As a student pastor, I have never seen a situation where students dating in high school has been helpful. Some didn't loose anything, but most do, and it's never actually been helpful - thus I just say to students be best friends and don't date.
When you think about drinking as a high school student- at this point you're all under age, and so it shouldn't even be considered because it's illegal, but when you do, and people ask, "Hey do you want a beer?" Just ask, Is it helpful? This applies to everyone. Has drinking ever actually been helpful? (the answer is no). It's not sinful (unless you get drunk) but it's not helpful.
When you're watching a TV show/playing a game, reading a book and it crosses the line in something, you have a choice to make do you keep on watching it or not? Just ask, "Is it helpful?"

Will this, that thing that is in front of you, apart of you, near you, etc, help you pursue and run after Jesus harder OR does it slow you down. It doesn't have to be sinful to slow you down in your pursuit of Jesus. If it's slowing you down, you're not living your life to the full, and that's one thing Jesus came to help you do.

What if as Christians we didn't ask the questions like, "How far is too far?" How would our walk with Christ be impacted if we simply removed things that didn't propel us forward with Jesus? The Holy Spirit may be convicting you in this about some things in your life because you know it's not helpful, and you know you just need to get rid of it. He's not telling you it's sinful, he's telling you you're not going all out for him.
Maybe you are sinning and that's what he's telling you - and you need to stop.