Desiring the shadows

I never thought I’d miss my construction days, but some days I do.

There was a certain peace in those evenings when the sun dipped low, tools clattered into the back of the truck, and I knew the day was finished. Work stayed at work. Life was simple. Predictable. Manageable.

No late-night messages.

No families waiting for counsel.

No stack of ministry needs that follow me home.

Back then I lived for myself—make money, do my job, enjoy my time. And in moments of pressure today, that life can look strangely appealing. There are days when the weight of ministry feels heavy and the old life whispers:

“It was easier then. Go back.”

But the longer I walk with Christ, the more I recognize a deeper truth:

those years weren’t happiness—they were preparation.

God was shaping me on those job sites long before I ever stepped into mission work. The rhythms, the responsibilities, even the simplicity—they were forming the man who would later carry far more than lumber and tools. Those years were the classroom, not the calling.

Still, the temptation to return surfaces. Especially on nights when expectations press from every side, when conversations remain unfinished, when fatigue sits deep in the bones. And it’s in those moments I realize something:

I’m not the first believer to feel this pull backward.

The early Jewish Christians felt it too. Their old life—Temple rituals, sacrifices, familiar routines—felt safe and predictable. Following Christ was costly, unfamiliar, and at times frightening. And this is why Hebrews 10 speaks so directly into weary hearts like mine.

When Shadows Feel Safer Than Substance

The writer begins with a reminder meant to steady discouraged believers:

the law was only a shadow of better things to come.

A shadow hints at reality, but it isn’t the thing itself. No one chooses the shadow of bread when they’re hungry. No one stands inside the outline of a house when they need shelter.

Yet discouraged hearts often reach backward toward what feels familiar—even if it lacks life.

Verse 4 explains the problem clearly:

“It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

The old system wasn’t broken—it was incomplete. It could reveal sin, but not remove it. It could point toward salvation, but not provide it.

Then verse 9 gives one of the most important statements in Scripture regarding the two covenants:

“He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.”

The first covenant was temporary by design. The second—Christ’s covenant—is permanent, complete, and written on the heart. Verses 16–17 quote Jeremiah:

“I will put my laws into their hearts… and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

This is not shadow work.

This is heart work.

This is Christ’s work.

And then we read that Christ sat down—a detail easy to overlook. Priests never sat because their work was never done. But Jesus sat because His work was finished. The way into God’s presence was open—not with fear, but with confidence.

The believers in Hebrews were drifting because they were letting emotion outrun truth. They were leaning back toward what felt safe instead of what was real.

Just like I do when ministry feels heavy and the old life calls my name.

What Hebrews 10 Teaches Us to Do

Because Christ’s work is finished, Hebrews calls us to four vital responses:

1. Draw Near

Don’t shrink back in discouragement or hide when weary.

Step toward Christ with honesty.

He opened the way—walk in it.

2. Hold Fast

Our feelings shift. Our strength fades.

But truth remains.

Cling to what Christ has done, not to what you feel in the moment.

3. Consider One Another

Faith was never meant to be lived alone.

Hope grows in community.

Endurance grows shoulder-to-shoulder with other believers.

4. Don’t Forsake Assembling

Some of the early Christians had already drifted from gathering. Today it sounds like:

“I can do faith on my own.”

“I don’t need church.”

“I worship God my own way.”

But Scripture is clear:

we need each other.

Isolation weakens what fellowship strengthens.

A Warning That Is Really Mercy

Hebrews 10 includes a serious warning—not to frighten Christians, but to awaken them:

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

This isn’t a threat to the believer’s salvation.

It is a reminder that there is no life behind us.

The old life cannot give what only Christ provides.

The warning is mercy—God’s way of pulling us back to substance when we start drifting toward shadows.

Encouragement for Tired Believers

Then the chapter closes with a crucial truth:

“The just shall live by faith.”

Faith doesn’t move backward into old habits or old comforts.

Faith doesn’t shrink when seasons feel heavy.

Faith doesn’t choose the shadow when substance stands before us.

And then the writer adds:

“We are not of them who draw back.”

This is identity language.

This is Christ-in-you language.

This is who you are now.

Going back is not your story.

Retreat is not your calling.

You have been made new.

Where This Meets Us Today

We aren’t tempted to return to Temple rituals, but we are tempted to return to:

• old fears

• old patterns

• old comforts

• old versions of ourselves where little was required

For me, it’s the nine-to-five life where the day ended when I put my tools down. But everything behind me was preparation, not purpose. And everything ahead of me is God’s work in me, not a burden but a calling.

Hebrews reminds us:

Choose substance over shadow.

Truth over emotion.

Christ over comfort.

A Moment to Let This Settle

Take a quiet breath and let this truth rest in your heart:

Christ finished the work.

You don’t have to go back.

You don’t walk forward alone.

You can hold fast—because He holds you.

Practical Ways to Hold Fast

When discouraged — draw near.

God welcomes honesty.

When tired — hold fast.

A weak grip still clings to a strong Savior.

When drifting — gather again.

Return to fellowship and let others strengthen you.

When the old life calls — speak truth.

“That was preparation, not purpose.”

When fear rises — remember Christ sat down.

The work is complete. Your hope is secure.

Christ finished the work.

He opened the way.

He holds your life with unwavering faithfulness.

So don’t drift into isolation.

Don’t retreat into shadows.

Don’t cast away your confidence.

Don’t go back.

Hold fast to Christ.

He is better.

He is enough.

Let us not be guilty of desiring the shadows...