Hebrews 12:18-29 (NRSV)
Read Hebrews 12:18-29 on biblegateway.com
Verse 18You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, Verse 19and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. Verse 20(For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death." Verse 21Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.") Verse 22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, Verse 23and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, Verse 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Verse 25See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! Verse 26At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." Verse 27This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken-that is, created things-so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Verse 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; Verse 29for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
Devotion
If one were to conduct a nationwide survey to learn the most common human fears, it is safe to conclude that failure would be near the top of the list. Due in part to the high value our society places upon success and achievement coupled with our conceptions of what actually defines failure, we often fret over falling short. We agonize about disappointment, and we even lose sleep from the potential shame of letting others down. When it comes to failure, many of us are "trembling with fear."
The gospels remind us that Jesus sets us free from these fears of failure and offers the freedom to embrace life in its fullness. While societal pressures can be cruel and unforgiving, in God's eyes we are received as we are, accepted regardless of our shortcomings, and fully included as members of God's all-encompassing beloved community. While these realities do not minimize or disregard the pains that moments of perceived failure can bring, the recognition of God’s love provides us with a broader perspective that allows us to see that specific failures do not define someone as a failure. Instead, by God's grace, we are given the wisdom to learn from our mistakes, the guidance to resist repeating them, and the strength to live our lives to the fullest.
Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for setting us free from the fear of failure, and we ask that you remind us of the freedom to embrace life in its fullness. Amen.