Hebrews 13:16 - "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
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Two concepts that any 5 year old is already well familiar with, right?
So why would we need such an explicit reminder here in the book of Hebrews?
Furthermore, why would we suggest to memorize this verse here at the Daily Sword?
There are actually two major benefits of adding this verse to our list of memory verses.
First, we need to consider how much we actually do good and share each day. Certainly, we all have small acts of doing good like being nice to coworkers and sharing food with others. No matter how small, these remain acts of goodness.
However, we live during a time of unprecedented distraction and busyness - mobile phones and devices, 60- to 80-hour work weeks, season-less clubs and sports activities, etc. As a result, we tend to find ourselves much more self-absorbed than at any time in world history. Within the daily attempts to cross off everything on our unrelenting to-do lists, we produce a massive opportunity cost for what we never get to. Specifically, we sacrifice the potential to PLAN to do good and share with others in deeply meaningful ways. We miss the opportunities to spend our time taking care of widows, the elderly, and the marginalized with our time, treasure, and talents.
Given this modern reality - that it is easy to forget what to do - the reminders in this verse are quite powerful in making sure we actively seek out ways to offer good and share with others.
Second, this verse contains a powerful "purpose clause" that can literally provide the fuel for dedicating the time and effort towards doing good and sharing. Specifically, the text states"...for with such sacrifices God pleased."
It is a biblical truth that God is pleased with us beyond understanding through Jesus' reputation and not our own. Regardless, we still have the opportunity to offer sacrifices that please Him throughout our lives. The author of the book of Hebrews is handing us a couple lines out of the proverbial user's manual on how we can please God... by doing good and sharing with others. In the moments it feels difficult to sacrifice our time, treasure, and talents to do good for others, we can find motivation by knowing our actions please God Himself.
Apply this
1. Review this Hebrews 13:16 verse several times this week
2. At the end of each day, recall the number of times you have done good or shared with others during that day
3. Find the fuel needed each day to do good and share by knowing you are pleasing God Himself
