Humorously sad.

My Pastor was preaching last Sunday morning about the need to remain spiritually healthy, to avoid ‘poisoning’ our [spiritual] diet. One thing he mentioned was avoiding the tendency to isolate yourself from God and others (i.e. ‘backsliding’). On discussing this he briefly touched on a classic verse from Hebrews 10, but until now I had never noticed how tragically funny the verse is (by this I mean that it is technically humorous but too painfully true to laugh at): “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,” (Heb 10:25a NIV)

What made me laugh and cry?
It was the idea that people can be in the habit of getting out of the habit of spending time with God and his people! How [deeply] tragic.
What is worse is that I know that I can list people I have known who fall into this category, and the list is painfully long. The inference Paul is making here is that it is not that these people struggle to settle into habits full-stop and so are likely to ‘drift off’. He is suggesting that they are incredibly habitual people; it is just that their habit is getting out of the habit. In reality this is spiritual self-harm.

Thankfully, Paul does not leave this verse entrenched in tragic irony, too painful to cope with, he finishes it with something amazing: “…but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb 10:25b NIV) We are each to take responsibility for encouraging each other. We are to defend each other as if our life depends upon it.
Did you encourage anyone last week?
If not, look for ways to do so; others may be relying upon it as much as you are!
If you have, look for more ways to be encouraging – be inventive and generous in your encouragement, and let it be full of grace. Let this be our habit, especially as we see signs of Christ returning and calling us home.

-Andrew Carey