Did you know that 1 cup of iceberg lettuce only has 8 calories? But eating only iceberg lettuce won't give you all the nutrition you need for a healthy body. Mixed greens (and, of course, other food groups) may have more calories but they also carry a variety of trace minerals for better overall health. And in my opinion, some of the other varieties of lettuce taste better too.
How does that relate to my spiritual health?
I was reading in Hebrews 10 and came across this passage where the author (generally assumed to be the apostle Paul) is encouraging the church to persevere in their faith. And it struck me as a funny co-incidence that much of his advice begins with "let us". (I don't think it's much of a strain to hear this as "lettuce", do you?)So what are the "let us"s that Paul recommends? Is there a mixed greens component to the Christian life?
1. "Let us draw near to God ..." (vs. 22)
This should be so obvious it doesn't need explaining but let me just expand a little. As a Christ-follower, we need to be near to Christ so that we see who we are following, where He is leading us, and what He is leading us to do. Being near to God is being in close communication with Him so that we are attuned to His voice and direction. How do we draw near to God? Through regular time with Him - reading His word (the Bible), talking to Him through prayer, and listening for what He has to say.
2. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess ... " (vs. 23)
God is faithful and when we hold on to His promises for us, we hold onto the God that made them, too. Which in turn helps us draw near - see how this works? :)
3. "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds ... " (vs. 24)
I like this section - Paul is saying "Let's be deliberate about encouraging each other to live the life Christ called us to." Let's think about how we can prompt each other forward in living out our faith. And I think one of the ways we do that is in the section that follows:
4. "Let us not give up meeting together ... " (vs. 25)
We can't be "spurring one another on" if we're not spending time with one another. Paul goes on to mention some people of his time that were "in the habit" of not getting together. I doubt he meant just getting together for lunch a couple times a year. I think it includes church on Sunday (or Wednesday or whatever day your church meets) too.
Do you have to go to church to be a Christian? No. But you lose some of those "trace minerals" of the Christian life by not being there. No church is perfect but every Bible-teaching church builds qualities of Christ that we can't experience anywhere else.
Author Frank Viola makes an interesting discussion of the ways God communicates, one of which is through His body (the church). He paraphrases 1 Corinthians 12:6 as follows: "The one true God speaks through a variety of different ways via His one body." Viola goes on to say "...Christ never reveals his whole mind through an individual. It takes a body of believers to lay hold of his mind together." (Revive Us Again, p. 23) Imagine all we benefit from worshiping and learning and doing life together.
5. "Let us encourage one another ... " (vs. 25b)
I find it interesting that Paul says we should be together at the starting point (spurring each other on) and at the finish line. As believers together, we are asked to keep each other focused on the task of "love and good deeds" (vs. 24) but also be there to cheer each other on as they happen. Yet another benefit that we would never get alone.
So, if our goal is a healthy and vibrant Christian life, Paul provides the "grocery list" of things that will help us grow in our faith and grow together as Christ's body. It's a matter of not just surviving as a Christian but of choosing to thrive as a Christian. "Lettuce" do our best to keep these things in mind as we work through each day.
