Christian hearts can get awfully weary in a sinful world. A friend of mine endured four long years of harassment in a corrupt workplace. Teachers are dissed by students they are called to serve. Students are alienated by classmates for being “different.” Weariness follows the gloom and guns on the evening news. It settles over you with the word cancer and after the argument at your family table. Weariness waylays you whenever temptation wins. Weariness can erode a Christian’s resolve on the race marked out for us.  

The author to the Hebrews knew how weary a Christian heart can get. He gives this encouragement: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (12:3).

Consider Jesus. He left heaven to rescue sinners. And how was he received? With opposition from those he had come to save! Not just our indifference. Not just harassment. But also with derision, with whip, with spit, with thorn, with nails, with sword, with death. Consider him!

But don’t end at his grave. Consider him who rose from death. Who sent his Spirit. Who feeds your faith. Who surrounds you with a great cloud of witnesses. Who puts his promises on their lips and into his Word and sacraments. Consider him!

When weariness pulls your soul back when it should push forward, when God seems too silent or too slow to answer prayer—when you wonder if he really loves you . . . consider Jesus. 

And don’t lose heart.