Recently there was a prophetic word released at our church, the word "momentum," nothing more, nothing less but "momentum." As I pondered this word and all found within such as "spiritual inheritance," What God starts continues forever," and many other thoughts worthy of study each on there own but for now I want to look at momentum as it applies specifically to our personal lives and how we live for God for He has begun great things in our lives but it is our job to take it furthe, He starts the fire, we keep it burning.
Hebrews 6:12 - "That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
When we read this verse most of us as I did naturally equates "slothfulness" with laziness but this is not the case, according to the Greek text this has nothing to do with laziness. The word "slothful" is taken from the Greek word "Nothros" and describes something that is slow or sluggish. By slow or sluggish I don't suggest or mean lazy but something that has lost it's speed or momentum. It is something that is still moving but not at the same speed or velocity it once did.
The word "Nothros" could be typifiedby a candle that once burned brightly but now, though still burning doesn't burned like it once did. In life it could be viewed as a person who felt very strongly toward somthing and was very committed but now that committment is wearing off. The word "Nothros" describes the lack of momentum that was originally there. Outwardly we can be busier than ever but inwardly(spiritually) be at a place of "Nothros", a place of neutrality. It is going through the motions of life, ministry, family, etc.. without the passion, zeal and convictions we started with. When spiritually in this place of "Nothros" it may look like were going somewhere on the outside but going nowhere on the inside.
I believe God has been an is up to some great things in our midst and across our nation but people stuck in "Nothros' can't see the positive or don't really care one way or the other. God tells us here, commands us not to be "nothros" but to get into the momentum of His spirit, move as He is moving. God is visiting us in (momentum) to break any and all sluggishness in our souls and to ignite fresh fire to be burn brighter and go further in this hour(by His Spirit).
How? The Lord tells in the rest of the verse. "but be followers of them." The word Followers is taken from the word "mimetes" where we get our english word "imitate,' the best translation for this word is "actor." An "actor" is somone who skillfully and convincingly acts like someone else. You could actually translate this phrase, "but skillfully and convincingly act like those who through faith and patience inherit the promise.'
The writer of Hebrews gives us a powerful principle for defeating neutrality and moving with momentum. You could say it like this, "If you have become nuetral, then find somonewho is on fire and watch what they say, how they act, how they live and act like them. Do what they do, say what they say, be imitators of them who through faith and patience have inherited the promise." To often we associate ourselves only with those who do not strecth or challenge us.
By commanding us to be "followers," Actors if you will the writer is not telling us to start personality cults. It is not the personality we are called to imitate but their faith. The charge is to connect with somone who is burning, tackled the odds, been through opposition and is standing, perhaps even made major mistakes but is still fighting the fight and pursuing the dream. It isn't so much their actions as it is their attitude were called to "mimik."
Simply put if you want to kill giants you need to hang out with giant killers. As an awakening is happening all around, as there is a real sense of momentum, get in on itand move with passion and zeal and if need be connect with somone who can help stoke the fire.
Again there is much to be said about momentum and this is only one thought from one verse but prayerfully it is encouraging and equipping.
