I need to get out the door toward my challenging day—hauling a load to lumber to Stayton and engaging in the challenge of assembling that material into a 20’x30’ shed roof structure attached to an existing barn.
The whole verse reads like this: “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Let’s examine the main thoughts.
DO NOT BECOME LAZY. No one can legitimately get away with blaming laziness on an inherited disposition. “My grandfather was lazy. My father was lazy. And I just can’t help it—I’m lazy too!” Let’s agree that laziness is basically a choice—in the same way that diligence is a choice. We simply need to choose which road we will travel.
IMITATE THOSE WHO DEMONSTRATE FRUIT THAT YOU DESIRE OVER THE LONG HAUL. Role modeling really is a powerful form of teaching, training, and motivating. It is appropriate for us all to locate people in our world of relationships, or even in history, who inspire us by their lives and the qualities which they demonstrate over time. It is very likely that if we would but copy their views, values, and lifestyle, we could actually reproduce their kind of fruit/results. What an idea! One of the popular problems we see around us, however, is that far too many seem to select crummy role models—and end up with crummy lives.
FAITH AND PATIENCE. There is nothing crummy about faith and patience—or diligence with godliness and faithfulness. These are the very qualities required within the universal law of SOWING AND REAPING that ensure a good harvest. They protect one from laziness, shame, and the great crime of “crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace” (6:6). Indeed, this approach serves as “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (6:19). Sing it again—“All other ground is sinking sand.” Following this pathway will generate good quality people “who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (5:14)—right from wrong, wisdom from foolishness, truth from deception, and godliness from that which is diabolical.
INHERIT WHAT HAS BEEN PROMISED. As I think carefully about it, there are very few promises made within any kind of relationship that are truly unconditional. Almost every good promise requires some kind of good action in order to obtain it. The promises of God are really quite worthless for us personally if we are not willing to pursue their conditions personally. Be assured that lazy conformity (or compromise) with the world (or with our lazy sinful nature) will never get for us the desirable results that God intends (promises) for His people. While faith without works is dead, you can be sure that faith with diligence is LIFE—living faith—the kind that works!