See To It

DEVOTION

HEBREWS

SEE TO IT

Heb 12:15-16

15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

NIV

Just hold on a moment, isn’t that our pastor’s job? Why are we supposed to see to it that no one misses the grace of God? It sure looks like we are the ones who should be looking out for all the other people and seeing to it that we share the grace of God with them. That surely would mean that we have to talk to them about the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, telling them they need to repent and get saved. Well, we really do not have to tell them about repenting, or getting saved, we merely have to tell them about Jesus dying on the cross for their sins, right? But that is not all. It sure looks like we are also supposed to make sure that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Now how are we supposed to do that? Maybe if we lived like we were superior to others because we are saved and they are not, it might make them bitter toward us. Then again if we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior but live just the same as the unbelievers do, they might develop a bitter attitude about religion which in turn would be directed toward God and thus they would be defiled. Living by faith is a good thing,  trusting in God is a wonderful way to live, gaining eternal life is a wonderful reward, and sharing this message is a responsibility we have to all people. Yes we need to speak up and tell the story, but we also have to live in manner would is consistent with the message we tell them. Hypocrisy will surely cause a bitter root to grow. This live we live in front of them is not about following a bunch of church rules and regulations, that is of no value to them at all, in fact that might cause the root of bitterness to grow up even more, but it is about living a life of love, showing them the love of Jesus at work in us toward them. We need to be the most reliable, trust worthy, loving and caring person they know. Jesus died for us; can we not give ourselves for them? Is that not showing them the grace of God at work in a real way? Simply said, we have to see to it.