西瓜的藤蔓佔據了我的花園，它們沿著石徑蔓延，爬上圍籬，最糟糕的是可能會扼殺我最喜歡的蔬果。我知道若不採取行動，花園裡其他的植物就無法茁壯成長。於是，在某天傍晚，我動手把纏繞在其他植物上的西瓜藤蔓解開。每當西瓜的藤蔓又再纏繞著蔬果，我就即刻將之移除。後來，我栽種的蔬果終於成熟了，結出飽滿的番茄和有光澤的甜椒。

貪婪、情慾和仇恨等罪惡就像那些藤蔓一樣，會佔據我們的生命。那些蘊藏錯誤思想的種子若不被移除，就會不斷生長，甚至會掌控我們的慾望和行為，就像「容易纏住我們的罪」（希伯來書12章1節，新譯本），使我們的靈命無法成長。

希伯來書的作者鼓勵我們「脫下各樣的拖累」，好讓我們能「以堅忍的心奔跑那擺在我們面前的賽程」（1節，同上）。我們要掙脫罪的捆綁，就必須承認自己需要幫助去對付罪惡。如果我們自欺欺人，讓自己和他人相信這不是個大問題，情況就會越來越嚴重。

一旦我們坦承自己的問題，耶穌會樂意垂聽我們的認罪禱告，並立刻赦免我們（約翰一書1章9節）。祂會教導我們如何改變我們的生活模式，並透過聖靈的能力幫助我們擺脫那阻礙我們茁壯成長的束縛。

Watermelon vines had overtaken my garden. They snaked across the stone path, climbed the fence, and—worst of all—tried to choke my favorite vegetable plants. I knew the garden wouldn’t thrive unless I took action. So, one evening I went to work uncurling tendrils from stems and leaves. When the coils grew back, I kept removing them until the vegetable plants finally matured and produced plump tomatoes and shiny peppers.

Sins like greed, lust, and hate can overtake our lives like the vines that tried to dominate my garden. Left untended, the seed of a wrong thought may develop until it controls our desires and actions like a “sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1) and holds us back from growing spiritually.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders” so that we can “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (v. 1). To break free requires that we acknowledge we need help to handle the sin. This can be difficult if we’ve convinced ourselves and others that it’s not a serious issue.

Once we sincerely admit the problem, Jesus welcomes our prayers of confession and forgives us immediately (1 John 1:9). He can show us how to change our life patterns and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, help us to overcome the bondage that prevents us from flourishing.