Brother's Keeper [Hebrews 3:7-14]

It is our duty as brethren in Christ who share God's heavenly calling to:


1) watch out for ourselves.
God saved us, and wouldn't we hate to waste that by...oh, I don't know, letting ourselves fall into sin over and over and OVER again? Srsly. We have to fix our thoughts on Jesus. We have to train our eyes to look at Him at all times. We have to pay attention to what we see and hear, and what we look at and listen to (Heb. 2:1). Why? God knows we are easily distracted and sidetracked. We need to keep our head in the game and avoid anything that will hinder us from running the race and finishing it victoriously. Ok, well, reality bites: the run won't go smoothly, and there will be rocky roads and obstacles along the way. But that should make us focus on God all the more, so that we won't fall into sin so easily. We have to be always on the right track--just right where God wants us to be--not wandering into shortcuts and detours that lead us nowhere near our destination, the finish line. And as we fix our thoughts on Jesus, we need to fix our hearts, too. It's one thing to know what God wants; it's another thing to actually go out there and do it. If Jesus is filling our hearts, then He should be filling our heads, too. That way, we don't lose sight of what He has planned for us, and then He doesn't have to go chasing us around to get us back on track.

2) watch our for our brothers and sisters.
Yes, we are our brothers keepers. Family members stick together. We have to look out for each other, making sure that all of us are keeping up with God's work in our lives. We have to help each other out, be there for each other. We have to keep an eye out for those who are wavering in the faith, growing weak, and are drifting away. With that, we need to be patient and loving; to rebuke is not an easy job, but should be done, nonetheless.
One thing must be made clear, though. Looking out for each other doesn't mean tolerating sin. If one is in the wrong, has done something that goes against God's standard of living for Christians, sticking together means not letting our brothers and sisters continue in their wrongdoing. It is not being judgmental; rather, it is being stern yet encouraging. We have to do what's right and love each other the right way--not by covering up for another's sin, but by correcting him with love.

As much as we are responsible for ourselves and our spiritual growth, we are accountable as well for those whom God has also called His children. Since we share one faith, we share in everything--both our victories and pain. It's nice to know that in any situation in life, we have each other to lean on. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"