Waning endurance
At the beginning of our Christian walk, God provided us all that we need to help us live godly lives. “God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). But problems arise when our lives are assaulted by difficulties and the rush of joy and excitement at the beginning start to wane. This is what happened to the readers of the Book of Hebrews. They were greatly affected by the circumstances they were dealing with that they were tempted to be weary and give up. Some got overwhelmed by the difficulties that they stopped engaging with other believers. Not only that many lost their jobs because they will not give up their spiritual conviction, others experienced strain in their relationships in their homes. Some even considered if it is worth it to follow Jesus. The writer reminded the readers that life is not as bad as some may suppose. Then, he mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ’s experience when He endured hostility challenging them to follow His example. He also reminded them of the “encouraging words God spoke to you as his children.” But how much do we know of the Word of God? It is of no use to avail of the encouragement the Word of God provides if we do not know it. As the writer reminded them earlier, “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1). If the difficulties are the result of God’s disciplining His children, the writer admonished them to not “make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.” They should not brush off the message God wants to convey during times of difficulties or else their lives will remain shallow. It is also not good to be overwhelmed by the hardships that you become paralyzed and stop running the course set by God. Instead of getting dismayed and discouraged, realize that the trials in life are there to deepen our faith in God. “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Blessings,
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