Hebrews 6:12 – Walking in His Promises

“So that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.”

Hebrews 6:12 (AMP)

 

Have you ever felt spiritually sluggish? Maybe you felt like you lost momentum in the midst of waiting for a long time or you could have found that you strayed away from your faith for a bit. Perhaps you caught yourself going through the motions, but not living out the actions. Does any of this sound familiar? It sure does for me! 

The part about feeling spiritually sluggish that always catches me by surprise, is that I never notice when I’m feeling that way. It isn’t until my faith hits that spark again that I realize how truly sluggish my spirituality and faith have been. 

 

slug·gish / ˈsləgish/

∎ adj. slow-moving or inactive

∎  lacking energy or alertness

∎  slow to respond or make progress

 

Another thing about being or feeling spiritually sluggish, is it doesn’t take much effort. In fact, it takes little to no effort at all. The times I find myself feeling this way are when I become so consumed in my day to day routine that I simply can’t find a moment to focus on faith. My faith becomes something pushed to the back of my mind and bottom of my heart. When really, it should be the focal point of all things I do. You see, having faith and being spiritually active takes effort. It means you have to be consciously aware of your time, your thoughts, your actions. Are you going through the motions of life here on Earth? Or are you living out every day with a Kingdom Perspective and Divine Purpose? 

I have to be honest… sometimes, I get into a really bad routine of going through the motions. I can spread myself so thin in so many ways… from focusing on my career, to social relationships with family and friends, staying active and taking care of my body, having alone time, leisurely time, fun time. How could I possibly find time for being spiritually active too? And friends, I hate to break it to you… but simply going to an hour of church on Sunday’s doesn’t cut it for me. Does it for you? 

You see, we aren’t called to do the bare minimum. We aren’t called to be mediocre. We weren’t created to simply exist. God has planted a seed in each and every one of us that calls us to be exceptional, remarkable, wonderful. And we can’t do or be any of those things if we are spiritually sluggish. 

This is the good news. Just wait for it… Hebrews 6:12, calls us to be

“imitators of those who through faith lean on God with absolute true and confidence in Him and in His power.”

Have you ever met someone and been amazed by how on fire they are for something they truly believe in? It doesn’t have to be a religion based belief. It could be that they really believe in their God-given talents and want to chase after their dream of becoming a professional Baseball player or a world-famous musician. Maybe it’s your neighbor that is overly passionate about their newest business venture or project at work. When you’re around them, can you feel their energy? Does their excitement and passion fill the air when they speak about it? And what about when you think of that person? Do you associate whatever it is they are on-fire for with their identity and persona?

THAT is the way I want to be when it comes to living out my faith. When I walk into a room, I want to fill it with the excitement and joy I have because of my “absolute and true confidence in [God] and His power.” I want everyone that meets me to feel the love of Jesus radiating from within. And it doesn’t have to be in a chauvinist, in-your-face manner. I want the life I lead and the words I speak to always exude the grace my Savior has given me.

Now I have a tough question for you… if you were to tell 50 people in your life about your faith, would they be surprised? If the answer is yes… that’s okay! All it means is you have room to grow. We all have room to grow in faith and lead by example to others. And that’s where that funny word from Hebrews 6:12 comes in… “imitators.” It can have a negative connotation, right? To be called an imitator of something. But this verse tells us to imitate those around us that “lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and His power and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises .” 

Here’s some fun truth for you… we all need mentors. The best of the best, the greatest of the greatest, have all had a mentor or two (maybe even five or six!). A mentor is not only someone we can learn from, but it’s someone who can encourage, motivate, challenge, and uplift us. Did you know, your mentors can be your friends? As long as they’re making a positive impact on you.

Do you have people in your life that you can lean on and confide in about your spiritual walk and faith? Our faith isn’t meant to be something we hold close to our hearts and never share with others. God wants us to build relationships with other Christian’s so we can learn, grow, and motivate each other. I want to surround myself with people I would be proud to imitate in faith. These are the people that God has placed into our lives for a greater purpose… a Kingdom Purpose. And the really cool thing, is that over time each of us will become a person of faith that someone else looks to. That’s how God works. He works for the good of His people! His plan is intricate and detailed – far more than we could ever imagine. 

So… who do you want to walk with? Which path will you choose? The path of the Spiritually Sluggish or that of the Faith Warriors? Here’s a hint… the latter will lead you to inherit His promises, just as Hebrews 6:12 tells us. So what do you say? Let’s continue to Walk in His Promises together.

 

— Madeline