“When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it…
Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you… Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.” (Hebrews 6:7-8,11-12)
The author of Hebrews gives us first this picture of the crossroads between this good ground that soaks up the water and bears great fruit compared to hard and dry soil that bears thorns and thistles. We can see the condition of the heart from the fruit.
Ever met someone thorny? They are harsh and judgmental, critical and condemning. What they speak is always that you do not measure up to their standards. They may shame you or point out all your shortcomings. This is the dry and hard ground that the author is speaking of as useless.
It is when religion overtakes a Spirit-led understanding. Instead of following the direction of the Spirit, we follow rules and regulations. Like the Pharisees and Scribes, we read our Bible and go through the motions, but at the end of the day, we are just following rules and no closer to the Lord. Our ground is hard and, as we follow practices over relationship, we just grow more spiritually dull and indifferent.
Jeremiah 6:16, ““Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
There is always this intersection between following the promptings of the Holy Spirit that result in mercy and kindness and following the letter of the law that results in harshness, judgement, and criticalness of others. Yet, it is not following this as a rule for living either. There is a sappy, include all things, tolerance, that invites and embraces sin for the sake of love. Yet it is not love to embrace sin.
We see a lack of tolerance for embracing sin that comes through with Jehu. He was violent and determined, yet, he is following the Lord in His actions. He is not judging others critically, but he is far from embracing those doing evil. He murders them all and cleans house.
This comes back then to being led by the Spirit rather than by a set of rules or practices. Our lives need to be about relationship with the Holy Spirit rather than following rules. Just recently I was creating a rule of life, but this rule or way of life is more about positioning myself to be led by the Spirit by following practices that lead me into His presence rather than following a set of rules.
I see some pastor friends who are embracing a false doctrine in the name of love. They have taken tolerance to the level of embracing perversion and direct sin. Somehow we need to find a way to embrace the person without embracing sinful ways. We know this is possible because we saw Jesus do it. He continually was found with those of least reputation but it was restorative.
Also, there is an example in the Bible of an outright failure to follow the Spirit and failure to follow kindness and mercy. Rehoboam as a leader chose the wrong path at this intersection. The leaders told him to lighten their loads and they would always follow his leadership. But he chose to be hard and harsh, telling them that he was going to be much harsher than his father. When the people heard this, they rebelled and got another leader.
I hear a still small voice these days that says to always choose being for people. To choose loving people and being kind to them even when they are failing and not meeting expectations. To choose relationship over performance and accomplishment.
At the same time, I hear this voice speak not to let go of these expectations that I have held to. The answer does not come in letting everyone do what they want and set their own path. The Word says to work hard to “persuade” others. This comes from a place of love to inspire and encourage.
Persuade here is peíthō and at the root of it is faith. It is not a manipulative trying to get someone to do things our way but an urging them to trust and put their confidence in Christ, being obedient to His will. It is bringing people back to a place of connection with God so they are led by His Spirit as well—not getting them to people please or follow our own expectations.
When I teach at college, I get a mix of students. Some want to be in college and others, perhaps are following the guidance of their parents to be there. It never fails that I will get 80% of the class wanting to learn and doing all the assignments and one or two that are non-responsive in the course. I will send them multiple emails, encouragements and promptings and will not hear from them throughout most of the course. They will do very little and have tons of missing work.
Then, at the end, when I send them their grade, they ask what they can do to pass. They become totally offended that I don’t see their plight and personally do all their assignments with them, giving them the answers and giving them extra credit now weeks after they were due. According to them, it is all my fault and I am a terrible teacher. But the truth is that a significant part of it is that they lack discipline and internal motivation. And their blame of me for this, just leaves them stuck in this circle.
Sometimes honesty, while hard, needs to be spoken. If I just enabled them and passed them anyways, I would get great ratings by them but lack any real care for them. At the same time, I think I have room in these situations to offer more kindness and help on becoming disciplined. At times, if I am honest, I am agitated with a lack of motivation and discipline. I am way better helping someone understand who has internal motivation. But I hear a whisper of the Spirit inviting me to choose seeking more understanding, helping them become motivated and disciplined, helping them become motivated rather than judging their lack of discipline and motivation.
I think this is because working hard and being enthusiastic (Romans 12:11), is a natural strength for me much than kindness and thoughtfulness. Not that I am unkind but it is a trait that comes through leaning into the Holy Spirit rather than a natural strength. It is in our areas of greatest strength that can also be a weakness for us in caring for others. We can forget that their natural strengths are not the same as ours.
In all that we do, we need to slow down and make sure we are being led by the Spirit rather than our own assumptions, judgements, and ways. In this, our choices will come from a place of faith in Christ rather than experience, confidence in self, or following any rules.
The author of Hebrews, when he puts it in plain language, is talking about making the choice in every situation to love others well. In doing this, we will flourish. If we choose to be hard and thistlelike as Rehoboam did, it will harden our hearts more. And if we choose to be sappy in our love, it will also create confusion in our hearts. And if we choose to follow practices or processes, it will also harden our hearts. We will begin to become spiritually dull and indifferent.
This brings me to my last point on those who inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance. In faith, we need to continually be willing to step out and follow the leading of the Spirit. It is here where transformation happens and people around us flourish.
And in endurance, we need to know when to suck things up and be longsuffering with others. We need to meet people where they are at with a longsuffering patience and find ways to motivate and encourage them. We need to pray for discernment on how to motivate them based on how they are wired. We need to let go of our own standards and expectations of others. And we need to see and encourage the beauty in others, even when they are not meeting expectations.
If our hearts get hard in the process of life and leading, Isaiah 44:3 tells us that He will pour out His water on thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. In seeing the hardness of our own hearts and dullness of our spirits, our only solution is in God. When we hunger and thirst for more, He will pour out upon us.
Lord, help us be led by your Spirit and not by demands of our jobs, expectations, results, or rules. Help us to see and inspire others to walk in Your will for their lives. Let us be an encouragement as we demonstrate faith and endurance.
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