Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.
From where does your strength come from? It’s easy to say the right thing, but if we are honest, to where do we look for strength?
There was a season of my life that I unknowingly lied to myself that my strength came from the joy of the Lord and by His grace. The reason I was able to unknowingly lie to myself is that is the nature of being deceived… you don’t know that it’s happening. Joy and grace are available to all believers as a source of strength, but I wasn’t utilizing it. Without realizing it, I was leaning into my own religious practices and performance to muster up strength.
The writer of Hebrews warns of strange and different teachings than those of Christ. The teachings of Jesus emphasized grace.* It’s an ongoing temptation throughout history for Christians to attempt to achieve the approval of God through eating foods or refraining from foods and other spiritual practices.* While the source and nature of the “diverse and strange teachings” mentioned in Hebrews 13 are uncertain, they may include spiritual practices as well as pagan practices.*
Here is a bold statement: spiritual practices, like food, have no benefit… in earning God’s approval.*
Food, like spiritual practices, have a function and benefit, but that function does not bridge the gap between humanity and God. Only the grace of God through Jesus provides salvific effect. Spiritual practices are nothing more than extension cords that, when plugged into us on one side and to God on the other, may connect us to Him and His power. Spiritual practices disconnected from God do nothing but create a tripping hazard or a danger of entanglement. They cannot serve as a source of anything life-giving.
What have you been drawing strength from? What practices have you engaged in to draw closer to God? Have they become your source of strength in place of God? Do you believe God is mad at you if you don’t do enough?
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to devote yourself to Him. Perhaps God wants you to demote spiritual practices from source to extension cord. Maybe today God wants you to remember His grace.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 13:7–19). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 677–678). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, pp. 187–188). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 439–440). Zondervan Publishing House.