Keep Going
Are you discouraged or weary from life’s trials and difficulties? Pastor Eugene (who’s back from the first half of his sabbatical) encourages us to press on, and to help each other to do so.
I enjoy the outdoors, and hiking is a hobby of mine. During my recent sabbatical, I had the opportunity to climb Mount Rinjani in Indonesia with my older son, Zachary. At 3,726m, Rinjani is the second highest volcano in Indonesia. The entire journey took us three days.
The second day of our hike was the toughest. Zach and I began walking at 2.30am, in the hopes of reaching Rinjani’s summit to catch the sunrise. For the next four hours, we trudged across sandy terrain and loose rocks. It felt as though we were taking one step forward, two steps back. Progress was painfully slow. The cold, stiff wind and thin air did not help. Keep going, we kept telling ourselves. Keep going, don’t give up. One step at a time. When we finally summited, we felt relief more than anything — thankful that the hardest part was over.
Or so we thought. Zach and I soon realised the ascent was only half the day. We still had to descend more than 1,000m to the crater lake before hiking up a steep trail on the other side of the crater to our next campsite on the opposite rim. By the time we arrived at the campsite in the early evening, I could no longer feel my legs. We had been hiking, or should I say plodding along, for more than twelve hours. After dinner, our tired bodies collapsed into our tent for the night.
Following Jesus takes patient endurance and perseverance. It is not only about starting the hike, but also about finishing well.
This expedition to Rinjani was one of the most strenuous treks I had ever done. The experience was a good object lesson about the necessity of perseverance. To press on, just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Trust that with each passing step, we are getting closer to our destination. In some ways, this illustrates the Christian life. Following Jesus takes patient endurance and perseverance. It is not only about starting the hike, but also about finishing well.
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes how some will not make it to the end: “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matt 13:20-21). Not all who profess to follow Jesus will persevere. This is a sobering reality. When trials and troubles come, there will be those who turn away from the faith. Perhaps they did not count the cost of following Jesus. When the going gets tough, they decide Jesus is not really worth the trouble of self-denial and cross-bearing.
Jesus is not saying that true believers can lose their salvation. Rather, He is emphasizing our responsibility to hold fast to Him. How do we do this? It is by hearing and heeding God’s word, which is “able to make (us) wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). Jesus said, “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty” (Matt 13:23).
The goal of our discipleship is to encourage one another to cling to Christ to the end — until He returns to bring us home, or He calls us to death and glory.
Thankfully, holding fast to Jesus is not something we try to do on our own. During my recent hike, it was wonderful to have Zach as a trekking companion. Seeing him press on helped re-energise my flagging spirit. This is one of the reasons why God intends for us to run the race of the Christian life as members of a local church. He means for fellow believers to spur one another on to persevere in Christ. It is to this end that we disciple one another. The goal of our discipleship is to encourage one another to cling to Christ to the end — until He returns to bring us home, or He calls us to death and glory.
As we have heard from 1 Thessalonians, this was Paul’s desire for the Christians in Thessalonica. He prepared them for suffering and prayed this young church would remain steadfast through trials. “We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know” (1 Thess. 3:2-4)”
Nothing gave the apostle more joy than to hear of how the Thessalonians were persevering in the faith: “For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord” (1 Thess 3:8). May we, like Paul, also derive joy from one another’s wellbeing in Christ. As fellow members of Grace Baptist Church, we share a vital commitment to build up the body of Christ together. This means investing time, affection, and energy to help one another to grow and to press on in Christ. Therefore, we bear one another’s burdens in love. We walk with one another through tough times. We exhort one another to fight sin. We serve one another in humility. We admonish one another towards ongoing repentance and faith. We encourage one another to keep looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
So, let’s be intentional in our interactions with one another. Consider reading the Bible or a good Christian book with another church member. Make plans to meet up with one another during the week over a meal or coffee. Linger after the service to connect with others in the church. Initiate a spiritual conversation with someone else by asking two simple questions: “How are you doing in your walk with the Lord?” and “What can I be praying for you?” Then, be quick to listen and slow to speak.
God will get us there.
Remember that in order to persevere in the faith, we need continual. encouragement from our brothers and sisters in Christ. And they need us to encourage them too. What an amazing privilege to be used by God for the perseverance of His people! As we do this for one another, be heartened that it is ultimately God who faithfully keeps us secure in Christ until the end. God will get us there. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess 5:23-24).