Let's Go Outside

“Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 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 ‭13:13-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I sometimes find myself in the midst of an inner tension. A tension surrounding wanting to do what is most comfortable to me, but knowing that I am supposed to be becoming more like Christ. A tension between being who I AM, or being a more Christ-like version of who I am. I feel tension in my soul over wanting to hang out with the friends I enjoy most, and who I "click" with, and hanging out with someone who probably needs a Godly friend even if our personalities don't always mesh perfectly. 

I think this ever present tension drew me to these verses; I needed to know more about them. What exactly does "outside of the camp" mean, I wondered. I went straight to the top for my answer... Google: what does Hebrews 13:13 mean? It never disappoints. Google is so smart! And while there was A LOT, and I mean, A LOT, of historical background and context, for the most part it meant what I thought it would.  I'll summarize what it means for me: "Yes, Bridget! You are actually going to need to change!"  Insert- sigh. 

So the audience in Hebrews were Jewish men and women who believed Jesus was the messiah. Calvary, where Jesus died, was outside of Jerusalem, or "outside of the gate" as verse 12 states. Therefore, the author is telling the reader, go outside of the camp too! They no longer belong to the Jewish community. The author is saying... Get out of your comfort zone! He is like, move on from that place! You are no longer bound by who you once were! For modern day Christians, this means stepping into the freedom that we are no longer "of this world". The things of this world do not last, so we need to begin focusing on things that last for eternity. 

Things that matter when you have eternity in mind are mentioned in verses 14-16. Praising God and acknowledging Him in all you do. Doing good things and sharing what you have with others. This sharing is both in terms of generosity and in terms of sharing the hope you have in Jesus. 

So I'm back to that tension. The nudging inside of me that tells me to make time for a Build group (discipleship group) even if that means I sacrifice time with friends I  may "enjoy" more. That struggle between hanging out with my neighbors one Friday a month or hanging out with my family every Friday. I mean, my family already knows Jesus. Do I sacrifice moments that could have an impact on someone's eternity so that I can be more comfortable? Or do I understand that Christ sacrificed His entire life for the eternity of others. That He left heaven and came to earth to save those whom He loves. And I am called to do the same. I am Called to go "outside of the camp" and focus on a "city that is to come". 

Pray about some areas in your life that you need to move on from in order to free up your time and energy for things with a Kingdom impact. 

- Bridget