Thin Skinned - Pt 1

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:9-12 ESV).

It is interesting to see how our culture has drifted into a situation where people's feelings are the chief measure of how to love. If feelings are vulnerable and might be hurt by a certain action, then we say, "This is probably not the loving thing to do." This means that we can easily be held hostage by people's sensitivities. Good and loving acts will be rejected because the bottom line of love is not truth or principle or even what's best for the person, but how they will feel. So if they can communicate that they will feel really bad, they can protect themselves from many good things. Our reading speaks to this issue. The writer begins by using the word "beloved" (v. 9). It simply means "loved ones," or "you whom I love." It's the only place in the book where the writer says "loved ones." The reason this stands out is that he has just said some of the hardest words in the book. He has said that they are dull of hearing even though by this time they ought to be teachers (cf. 5:11-12). He says that they are like babes stuck on milk (cf. 5:13-14). And he holds out the possibility that some of them have had great blessings and high religious experiences but are not saved, and are like a field that drinks rain for months and never brings forth fruit (cf. 6:4-8). And then he says, "I do love you." Now I point this out because we need to let the Bible shape our worldview. We have become a nation of victims, whiners, and pouters to a large degree. That is, if someone says something negative about us, no matter how constructive they may try to be, we either slump into a fit of self-justifying woundedness. We are a very thin-skinned people in America these days. Easily offended and easily provoked. This is not good. Followers of Jesus should be different. We are chosen by God, loved by God, forgiven by God, accepted by God, indwelt by God, guided by God, protected by God, strengthened by God — and God is more important than anyone else in the universe. We do not have to feel vulnerable or insecure. We do not have to be self-justifying or self-defensive or self-pitying. We can be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger (cf. James 1:19); and, we should! That will create real relationship.