“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”
(Hebrews 2:1 ESV)
The Danger of Drifting Away
Have you ever been on something that floats? A boat, a paddleboard, a surfboard, or an inner tube? You know, then, that anything that floats can also drift.
Imagine you’re in a canoe on a river. You are supposed to stay to the right side, because if you drift too far to the left, you could be caught in a current that would hurl you over a waterfall in a matter of moments. You keep a tight grip on your oar and laser focus on the instructions of your guide, just ahead, knowing that a moment of drifting could cost you your life.
We don’t think of drifting as good, and we know that drifting often comes with a cost. Drifting happens slowly. It’s usually sparked by a decision to stop—stop rowing, stop paddling, or stop paying attention—and usually involves neglecting some effort that keeps you on course.
Drifting Away from God’s Word
The writer of the book of Hebrews knows this, and so he compares neglecting God’s Word to drifting. We may stop paying attention to what God has said, and thus begin to drift away from the truth. We may drift from God’s Word in our thinking, in what we believe, and in the way we live.
The author of Hebrews urges us to pay close attention to “what we have heard,” which refers to all that Jesus has said—in short, the Word of God. He knows that it only takes a little neglect, or the aversion of our attention, for us to drift away from the truth.
Just like drifting in a boat may come with surprising and negative consequences, so drifting away from God’s Word will result in hardship and consequences too.
How to Avoid Drifting Away from God’s Word
The book of Hebrews was written to Christians whose endurance and energy were flagging. They were tempted to give up the effort to follow Jesus, as they faced persecution and hardship.
When our arms are tired from rowing, so to speak, and our own strength is waning in our effort to follow Jesus, we must hear this encouragement from Hebrews to pay much closer attention to what we have heard and remember the warning that neglecting God’s Word will cause us to drift. And drifting is always dangerous (Hebrews 2:2-4). The way to not drift is to stay on course—to pay close attention to and obey God’s Word.
Friend, where do you see yourself drifting from God’s Word? How closely do you pay attention to God’s Word?
Confess where you have drifted and ask the Holy Spirit to paddle you back into the safe zone and give you an eager ear to receive God’s Word.
Ask him to show you wonderful things in his Word that compel you to keep paying close attention to it (Psalm 119:18). Ask him to remind you how every effort to love, serve, honor, and follow Jesus is worth every ounce of energy it takes.