Hebrews 12: 1-17
There are crowds of believers who have walked before us, who can strengthen our resolve because they have been faithful, and they have recieved God's promises and rewards.
1. Be strong and when you grow weary- KNOW YOUR FOUNDATION. Consider first Christ's sacrifice! And do not be discouraged; Christ walks even deeper in our crap than we do.. He sacrificed His life! His divinity!
2. He calls us 'sons'(and daughters)!
"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He recieves." (vs. 5-6)
Ouch! Discipline hurts!! I think of the training I am beginning for my shoulder; and I really do NOT get any 'high' off of inflicting myself with pain. But this discipline I must endure. If I do not, my shoulder will only get weaker and pull out easier and more frequently as I get older.
But this pain and consistency are necessary. Sometimes it feels like there are a lot of things working against me. Take for instance even walking into the weight room- I can't shake the feeling that people might be watching and laughing at the amount of weight I am lifting or critiquing my form as I struggle through some of the weight sequences.
The truth is that I am not doing this workout for them; but I am doing it for me and my future. It is the same in our spiritual walks. Discipline can be a struggle...it sure doesn't come naturally to me, but it is necessary if I plan on growing in my walk with Christ.
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (vs.11)
I desire to be a strong woman of faith and of God. "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." Making our walk straight takes discipline, time, and hard work. These things don't come over night, but our challenge is to lift those drooping hands and strengthen those weak knees.
This walk requires us to live according to the Spirit. Read Romans 8. The law (God's word) reveals our sin and depth of our lostness from God. All the world is accountable to God, because by the works for th law no flesh would be justified in His sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But "the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
So let us set our eyes on Christ (the author and perfecter of our faith and lay aside the things that entangle us in this world and instead submit ourselves to the Lord; putting in place the proper disciplines that are going to encourage us to walk with perseverance in Christ (in his love) rather than in the love of the world and fear of man.
There are crowds of believers who have walked before us, who can strengthen our resolve because they have been faithful, and they have recieved God's promises and rewards.
1. Be strong and when you grow weary- KNOW YOUR FOUNDATION. Consider first Christ's sacrifice! And do not be discouraged; Christ walks even deeper in our crap than we do.. He sacrificed His life! His divinity!
2. He calls us 'sons'(and daughters)!
"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He recieves." (vs. 5-6)
Ouch! Discipline hurts!! I think of the training I am beginning for my shoulder; and I really do NOT get any 'high' off of inflicting myself with pain. But this discipline I must endure. If I do not, my shoulder will only get weaker and pull out easier and more frequently as I get older.
But this pain and consistency are necessary. Sometimes it feels like there are a lot of things working against me. Take for instance even walking into the weight room- I can't shake the feeling that people might be watching and laughing at the amount of weight I am lifting or critiquing my form as I struggle through some of the weight sequences.
The truth is that I am not doing this workout for them; but I am doing it for me and my future. It is the same in our spiritual walks. Discipline can be a struggle...it sure doesn't come naturally to me, but it is necessary if I plan on growing in my walk with Christ.
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (vs.11)
I desire to be a strong woman of faith and of God. "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." Making our walk straight takes discipline, time, and hard work. These things don't come over night, but our challenge is to lift those drooping hands and strengthen those weak knees.
This walk requires us to live according to the Spirit. Read Romans 8. The law (God's word) reveals our sin and depth of our lostness from God. All the world is accountable to God, because by the works for th law no flesh would be justified in His sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But "the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
So let us set our eyes on Christ (the author and perfecter of our faith and lay aside the things that entangle us in this world and instead submit ourselves to the Lord; putting in place the proper disciplines that are going to encourage us to walk with perseverance in Christ (in his love) rather than in the love of the world and fear of man.
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