"Continue to love each other" - Heb 13:1
There's a proverb that says something about "the straw that broke the camel's back". For those who are unfamiliar with it, it describes the seemingly minor or routine action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions. One straw weighs too little but when you put enough of it, you will eventually put the last straw that will break the camel's back.
Today, let's look at the positive side to this.
Success in life also require an accumulation of the right things that we do. For example our health will not be at its optimum when we simply rely on healthy diet. We still need exercise, enough sleep, good company, less stressful environment, etc. In school a good grade is not only dependent on test scores. We also have to have attendance, recitation, projects, etc. A good marriage will not be ours without the gazillion things that we must do on a regular basis to build and nurture it. We don't get to the summit without taking that final step, that last push or that last jump. There's always a point where what separates a miner from hitting gold is that final inch of dirt.
Going on to spiritual matters, the favor of God in our life will require, first of all that we have faith for without faith it's impossible to please Him (Heb 11:6). But we also don't stop there so that we can receive blessings. We also need to enter into a more intimate relationship with the Lord by way of knowing Him and obeying Him. Experience will tell us that there's no one thing that can be called "the key" to blessings. We won't be blessed only because we read the bible. Atheists also read the bible. We won't be blessed only because we are generous in our giving. A lot of givers have bad motives. In the same way there's a last straw that breaks the camel's back, there's also a last final touch, last good deed, last change of attitude or heart that finally sets the stage for our breakthrough. It can be saying, "I'm sorry for all that I've done" to someone. Or it could be saying, "I forgive you" to your sibling or parent or to an enemy.
The question is, how do we get to that last straw? Seemingly, by just doing as much as we can. For we won't know which one will be that last straw. Perhaps the last good thing, the last act of kindness, the last spiritual decision will be the component that will push our "grades" above the failing mark. Imagine yourself reaching for a high object which is beyond your normal reach while standing. If you have plenty of papers lying around, using them as your step board will eventually get you to that last piece of sheet that will allow you to reach that high object. If a few hundred pieces will not do, why not add another hundred until you get there?
The lesson today is this: we don't stop at our first failure. We don't stop even if the second, the third or the fourth is not yet bringing in the expected result. Here's the consolation while waiting for that big breakthrough. Every good thing that we do will always bring a good result, though not necessarily in the magnitude or the form that we expect. When it comes to the favor of God, after we exercise faith, we just go on to live faith's fruit which is good works. Let's accumulate good work as much as we can. They will not come naturally at first but soon they will become a part of us. If you want specifics, here are a few that Hebrews 13 tells us:
Continue to love each other.
Don't forget to show hospitality, even to strangers for they may be angels in disguise.
Remember those in prison.
Honor your marriage by being faithful to each other.
Don't love money. Be happy with what you have.
Don't get carried away by all kinds of unfamiliar teachings.
Don't forget to do good things to others and to share.
Obey your leaders and accept their authority so that they may do their work joyfully.
Pray for one another.
If that's too much for many of us, remember that the Jews counted more than 600 specific commandments in the bible. But all these can be summarized in two: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and love your neighbor as you love yourself" (Mat 22:37,39 GW). If we want breakthrough, let's continue to build using a lot of the good things we already know and are already capable of.
