Perserverance and encouragement

10 November 2017

DO YOU LIKE TO GO ON LONG WALKS?

LYN MCCOMB

For the past few years, in an effort to stay fit and healthy, I’ve been regularly walking between 5 to 10km. A few weekends ago, I joined 20 other ‘Salvos Striders’ for the local 5km Menai Parkrun.

Running is not my favourite activity, but I gave it a go (well, ran half of it and walked the other half). I have discovered in my quest to keep fit, that perseverance is a definite requirement and often, just to finish the course, it helps to have encouragement along the way.

The Salvos Striders goal that weekend was to raise awareness in our local community about the 14km City2Surf on August 13, and the opportunity to join the ‘Salvos Striders’ to raise funds for the homeless through the work of the Salvos. 

I see a parallel between my exercise regime and our daily walk with God. This also takes perseverance—and we need to encourage one another—but most of all we need to commit our time to studying God’s word, focusing our thoughts, words and actions on God, who will keep us on the right path and empower us through His Holy Spirit to finish the race.

In Hebrews 10: 23—25 we read:

23 “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near”