Wednesday Bible Study- the end of all things: Hebrews

Hebrews 13 is one of those easily graphed out and broken down chapters, breaking into ten instructions in three different categories. Things to be: Mindful of Brotherly love (v1), Hospitality (v2), and Content (vv5-6); Things to pray about: For the persecuted (v3), your spiritual leaders (v7), and the evangels who take the Word to the world (vv18-19); and Things to Do:  Honor marriage (v4),  Avoid strange teachings (the author's stress, vv 8-15), giving to charity (v16), and obey your leaders (v17).  If I wanted to, I could stop here at "go thou and apply".  But I want to share with you how this chapter clobbered me.


I am currently in a stretch of OT that is seeing us working 56 hrs a week, mainly to help out our other plants that basically working night and day to sponsor Martin Truex Jr in NASCAR, in a decidedly ironic twist for me.  And the part about contentment has been a struggle.  Our VP, who can be somewhat of a Tasmanian Devil at times, has been down riding shotgun on us "because we're the best".  Here is a pertinent bit of dialogue between us this past week:

Him: Hi, Chris, how the - are you?
Me: I'm here...
Him:  Oh, come on, you can do better than that!
Me: Sorry, my enthusiasm has been beaten out of me by weekend work.  Still trying to recover it.

The reason I repeat that verbatim is that when I got back to my station, I began thinking about what I just said out loud.

Enthusiasm gone.  What can they do to fix that?
Nothing.  The problem's in me.  No contentment in the situation.
Why not?  Because I don't understand contentment.

So let's figure out what we need to know about it.  Start with the verse in our chapter:

Heb 13:5  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 
Heb 13:6  So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" 

Let's add to this Paul's definition in Phillippians 4:

Php 4:11  Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 

Php 4:12  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 

Php 4:13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 

Finally, let's add a touch of 1 Timothy 6:

1Ti 6:3  If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 

1Ti 6:4  he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 

1Ti 6:5  and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 

1Ti 6:6  Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 

1Ti 6:7  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 

1Ti 6:8  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 

1Ti 6:9  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 

Okay, that's a big touch, but it's important.  So what do we learn about contentment here?  In no particular order:

1-  '...for I have learned...'  This is NOT something that is part of your "Christian walk starter kit".  It must be learned every day, by moving through situations that bring the opposites of contentment.

2- '...But if we have food and clothing...'  We set our priority goods list here on earth a lot higher than God does.  This world is NOT our home, and we should be willing to travel light.

3- '...Keep your life free from love of money..."  This comes up in almost every mention of contentment; in fact, the next verse that I left off of Timothy was the famous 'for the love of money' verse.  I think most people this might be the thing; for me, my coin is more, 'quit taking away my time off!'  Basically, this can be anything that wants to take you OUT of the situation God put you IN.

4- '... I can do all things through him who strengthens me...'  THIS CAN'T BE DONE IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH.  You have to do this in HIS strength.  If it feels impossible to do on your own, you're right.

5- '...He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,  and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth...' THIS IS ME.  I have a lot of time at my station to tell myself stories just like this, imagining conversations I'll never have with bosses (hopefully), and I sometimes spend a good share of my thinking day telling them to go away.  Usually I do good, but by the end of the day it leaves a big emotional knot.

6- '... for he has said...'  The victory comes with remembering the promises of God.  Charles Stanley and Michael Youseff said a couple of things this week that really helped here.  Stanley: "Don't minimize the sin, but maximize the grace..."  Youseff:  "Don't believe in the defeat, believe in the victory!"  Both of which are now written at my station to remind me how great the arms that I have available to lean on.  And that is my takeaway from Hebrews 13.