Every Day, Not Every Crisis

The writer of Hebrews knew how sin works on a man over time, and he prescribes something that sounds almost too frequent. Exhort one another every day, he says, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. The key word is deceitfulness. Sin does not usually harden a man in one dramatic moment. It does it quietly, one small compromise at a time, each one telling a little lie about how it does not matter.

By the time a man notices, a layer of callus has formed over the place where his conscience used to be tender. The answer Hebrews gives is not an occasional intervention when things get bad. It is daily contact, ordinary and unremarkable, a brother's voice in your week often enough that the lies do not get to settle. This is why the daily check-in matters more than it looks like it should. A simple word every day keeps the heart soft.

If you have let your brothers grow distant, close the gap this week. Ask God to make you a man who speaks a true word to someone today, while it is still called today.