Hebrews: The Daily Discipline of a Devoted LifeSample

In the movie Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams, playing the role of an unorthodox English teacher, takes his boys out of class and leads them down a corridor to an old grainy photograph of former pupils. These former pupils had lived their lives, and run their race. Now it was the turn of this new generation, and as the boys stare at the photograph, Robin Williams whispers to his class, ‘Carpe diem. Seize the day!’ 

Hebrews 11 is like an old grainy photograph of Old Testament saints who showed faith in God and overcame obstacles in their journey to the heavenly city. Now it’s our turn! These Old Testament saints, cheering us on from the stands, teach us poignant lessons:  

• Run your race with perseverance. The Christian life is like a race (v. 1), but not a sprint. It’s more like a steeplechase with lots of obstacles, bumps and bruises along the way. Our biggest obstacle is our own sinful nature – not necessarily the grandiose sins of murder and adultery, but more subtle sins that are ‘the sin that so easily entangles’ us. Love of money, pleasure-seeking, and career aspirations all blunt our love for Christ. If we are to run with perseverance, we must get rid of the idols in our hearts, and fix our eyes on Christ, who endured a cross because of the glory that lay ahead of it (vv. 2–3). 
• Don’t despise the discipline that’s part of the race. You cannot pursue Christ without suffering. But God uses suffering, in all its shapes and sizes, to ‘discipline’ us (v. 7). It is an indulgent father who refuses to discipline, but a loving father ‘disciplines those he loves’ (v. 6). William Carey saw years of Bible translation work in India going up in smoke when all his manuscripts were destroyed in a warehouse fire. But he saw God’s hand in it, and acknowledged that arrogance had started to seep into his ministry. He exclaimed, ‘The Lord has laid me low that I might look more simply to him.’ 
• Discipline leads to holiness. God’s purpose in discipline is not to embitter us, but to refine us. Discipline is actually a sign of God’s loving fatherhood, and if we submit to it, it ‘produces a harvest of righteousness’ (v. 11) in our lives. You can’t be holy without discipline. Some Christians have become bitter, because they don’t expect God to allow sometimes intense suffering. But when we see why God allows it, we will be better prepared to allow God’s scalpel to shape our brokenness into the image of Christ. 

Reflection

What has God’s discipline produced in your life?