You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.

Hebrews 12:4 (NASB)

For the Hebrews being addressed in this context, persecution was a daily reminder that they were going against the grain of culture. Choosing Jesus meant denying the way of the world around them. It meant living a life set apart. That is difficult, especially when we lose sight of Jesus Himself.

In addressing His disciples in the garden, the night he was to surrender for His execution, Jesus told them to remain in prayer with Him for their flesh was too weak to stand against what was coming. Temptation was around the corner and if they weren’t spiritually connected, then they would succumb to it. As we know, all the disciples did succumb to it. They fled in fear. They denied Jesus. They were weak and faltered because of it. And so have I.

Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41 (NASB)

Sin seeks to corrupt and pollute. But most of all, sin seeks to separate further those who are already separated. What I mean by that is, if we are not spiritually in tuned, then sin will seep in through the cracks of separation and drive a further wedge. For the disciples, they allowed exhaustion and pride to lead to complacency, which gave way to falling away. It’s no different for us. If our physical life gets in the way of our spiritual life, then it’s only a matter of time before we too crack under temptation.

For those being addressed in the book of Hebrews it was a matter of bending to the pressures of those around them. Choosing the easy path rather than the holy path. Fear is the main driving force whether in the case of the disciples, those in Hebrews, or you and me. We fear not having enough, not being enough, not doing enough, and not being accepted enough. And before we know it, we’ve strayed from the path. We’ve compromised our time, our relationships, and our very hearts for things that mattered little, or even nothing at all.

My brothers and sisters, don’t allow complacency to set it. Don’t be distracted or drawn away from your first love. Are you drained and weary? Are you hungering for more and don’t even know why? Are you on the verge of compromise? Please stop and take stock of your heart. It isn’t too late to be refilled with those things that are lacking. Joy and peace are right around the corner. Hope and healing can happen in an instance.

Most of the disciples returned to Jesus and lived amazing lives of faith. They changed the world. They resisted sin to the point of shedding of blood. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for holiness. Are you willing to do that? Am I? Perhaps we should start with the small things first. Praying first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and all day long in between. We need to retreat to a quiet place often to allow God to restore our souls. And day after day, we need to make the individual choices to not compromise who we are in Christ or the mission we’ve been called to. Resist brothers and sisters. At all costs, resist.

Keep watching and praying brothers and sisters.