Reading Plan:Hebrews 13:1-8 Author: Brandy Stewart
The beginning of this chapter contains a lot of verses that may sound familiar to you. There are a lot of specific commands here: love one another, show hospitality to strangers, remember those who have been imprisoned, let marriage be held in honor, keep your life free from the love of money. We could spend an entire day talking about any one of these subjects. Instead, I’d like to focus on verses 5b-6 which tell us, “Be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So, we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper: I will not fear: what can man do to me?’”
These verses stand out to me because it’s showing us that a lack of contentment with where we are and what we’ve been given can lead us down a dangerous path. When we no longer feel content, we begin to think and act very selfishly. Everything begins to be about what I can have for myself. In those moments, I will certainly not feel brotherly love or offer hospitality to strangers. I won’t be thinking about someone that’s been imprisoned, and I for sure will not be putting my spouse's needs above my own. We all know that focusing on money and how we can get more of it leads us to scary places.
So how do we stay content with what we’ve been given? We first have to stop comparing everything we have with what someone else has. Stop worrying about someone else’s house, job, friends, spouse, and on and on and on. Verse 7 prompts us to instead remember those who have given us a Godly example. Who are the people that have consistently taught truth and lived the same truth as well? Scripture tells us that these are the people we should look to as an example and imitate their faith.
We also have to remember that God didn’t ask us to figure this life out on our own. Even if you can’t think of one Godly example in your life, God Himself has promised to be our Helper, and He told us that He’ll never leave us. We have absolutely nothing to fear as long as our trust is in Him.
Reflection & Response:
- Who can you think of who has set a Godly example in your life? Pray for them right now. Maybe even send them a quick text to tell them how thankful you are for them!
- In what area of your life do you most lack contentment? Ask God today to help you trust that what He has for you is better than what you could even imagine!
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