Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
“You have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might inherit the promise.”
Hebrews 10:36
Learning how to be right is as important, if not more so, than being right. Learning to maintain a right spirit toward everybody after we have done righteousness is the challenge. It is easy to know how to be wrong; we’ve all done a lot of that. And actually, it is not really that hard to be right . . . for a little while. But being established in Christ is saying and doing what is right and then not backing down from it in the face of opposition. To dare to be led by the Spirit and then to stay in the Spirit after we have done the right thing is so important! It is the way of eternal life itself! God has never apologized to anyone for being good and wise.
When we do the will of God, many times it provokes ungodly people and either makes them angry or makes them sulk. In this sinful world, that is often an inescapable consequence of doing what is right. Everything in the world is geared toward making God’s children feel guilty or intimidated after they have done the Father’s will. In Hebrews, we have this exhortation: “You have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God you may inherit the promise.” Amen! It is good to be bold to do what is right, but the real test comes afterward. Will we climb back down from the high place of faith after we have attained to it, or will we surrender to the winds that blow up there?
Try to encourage the person who dares to do righteousness in this wicked world. When we have pleased God, we all need to hear a whisper in our ear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That whisper may come directly from Jesus or from one of his children. Either way, how good it is to hear such a voice after we have done a right thing! It keeps us happy, and it helps us not to be moved away from God’s will by the reactions of those who misunderstand what we have done. Just a little encouragement can help make us strong, so that we do not yield to the pressure of confused, angry, or pouting people. Hearing Jesus’ voice telling us that we have done well gives us courage not to back down from the progress we have made and then apologize for having done what is right in God’s sight.
Stay on the rock after you’ve climbed up on it.