Hebrews 6:12

Hebrews 6:12

Faith and patience

Oh, a little bit of a scolding here! The modern world is all about our rights, about “me”, about making time for leisure, rest and play. Please don’t get me wrong, God insists that we rest and take time out with Him, but there’s nothing in the Scripture that suggests we need time for ourselves, or for a cosy retirement, or that we should put off for today what can be done tomorrow. The life of the true follower of Jesus Christ is one of activity, busyness and endeavour, there is a vast harvest field to be reaped, a large church to be constructed and the toil is relentless. Yes, we are all different and some take longer than others to perform their tasks and others need time to listen as well as to act, but whatever camp we fall in, laziness is not acceptable. Notice from chapter 5:11 that one of the author’s complaints was that the believers “no longer tried to understand.” In other words, we need to apply ourselves to the Word of God as well as to active service. The Christian walk requires effort and, more often than not, hard work. 

So, what are the qualities needed to fulfil the roles that the Lord God has set for us? According to this verse they are faith and patience. Faith is necessary because all that we have learned about and received from the Lord is by faith, it cannot be gained by reasoning or education and study, the greatest lessons from God are those that we receive from His Word and His heart and that we believe, despite all the obstacles. Nothing is gained by sheer endeavour alone; believe me I’ve tried it! Another major lesson is that God does not serve up every blessing on a plate immediately, sometimes we have to strive for a long while to see the fruits of our labours. Dedication, commitment and perseverance are the qualities that we must learn if we are to be loyal servants of our Lord. 

Is there a reward? Yes, for those who patiently press on by faith there awaits an inheritance that has been promised. Presumably all believers and followers of Christ inherit but there are inferences in the Scriptures that the quality or quantity of the prize varies according to the faithfulness of the recipients. Hallelujah, we have nothing to lose and all to gain. 

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