Many people long to live a better life. This desire can be due to present circumstances or past regrets. The hope of a better life provides comfort and eases one’s mind. However, the writer of Hebrews reminds us that a better life is the result of worshiping Jesus and loving others well.
The first twelve chapters of Hebrews instructs believers in the teaching that Jesus is better. The last chapter explodes with instructions on how to live a better life. The writer offers several keys: caring hospitality, generous contentment, and gratitude for servant leaders.
The miracle of the Body of Christ is that we are a family, spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ. The reflection of love for one another is a testimony of God’s grace. We pray for one another, especially those who are being persecuted for the faith. But the love we have for one another also flows out of the Church and into the community. A better life is found in the kind of hospitality that loves and serves strangers in the same way we would our family.
Discontentment, however, is an enemy to living a better life. We are called to honor the holiness of marriage by honoring our covenant with God. We should strive to be satisfied with the material things that God has provided, not longing for more and more stuff. The secret to finding contentment is in the promise that God is with us and will never leave us.
A better life is established when we remember those who guide us spiritually. But this remembrance is more than recalling in our minds those who have mentored and helped shape our faith in Christ. It is imitating the way they trust, obey, and daily follow the Lord. The lives of servant leaders in the Church build our faith and point us toward the unchanging nature of our Savior.
Sacrifice is something we do each day of our lives. We either sacrifice what is harmful for that which is good, or we sacrifice that which is beneficial for things that are unhealthy. To live a better life, we are invited to daily bring a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Our worship of God is more than a religious ritual. It is a life-changing blessing. “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:15-16)
1. What is one way you have shown hospitality to someone you did not know within the last week?
2. How are these three words related: hospitality, contentment, and sacrifice?
3. Name and describe the life of one servant leader who God has provided to help you grow in faith.