While the proverb says that you “shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover”, some books have a cover title that inspires and challenges you, before you even start to read it. “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” by Eugene Petersen, which addresses the importance of persevering in the Christian faith, is one such title.
Last weekend I completed the MacMillan Mighty Hike in Callander, Scotland, which was 25.5 miles long – a long walk following a set path. There are many parallels to the Christian faith in that experience. Here are a few.
You have to keep going. When you break it down, a 25-mile walk is a one-mile walk, repeated 25 times, or one step repeated over 60,000 times. This year we have been privileged to see two members of our congregation reach 100 years on this plant – that’s one year X 100, or one day, repeated 36,525 times! Likewise, in our Christian lives, we are asked to follow Jesus, one day at a time, The writer to the Hebrews says that we are to “run with perseverance the race set out for us” (Hebrews 12:2). When Jesus called His first disciples, He said, “Follow Me!” His call was to be obeyed for the rest of their lives. That called hasn’t changed: if we are to follow Jesus, we are to commit our whole lives to Him. When you start on the journey, you wonder what’s round every corner; when you’ve been travelling for a while, you settle into a rhythm. The important thing is that we keep trusting, each day that He gives us, and keep moving forward. Maybe you need to be reminded (as I did recently) that when we decide to follow Jesus, there’s ‘no turning back, no turning back!’
You cannot walk your whole journey at the same pace. There are hills and valleys, roads and rough tracks bumps and blisters. You get tired and have energy bursts. Psalm 23 reminds us that we face green pastures, still waters and dark valleys. Whether your journey at the minute is gentle or demanding, the one thing you can know is that the Good Shepherd will always be with you. Jesus says, “27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10).
You need help on the way. You can see from the photograph that many people walked together in groups. With people around, the miles pass by more easily. Also, on the walk, there were three Pit Stops – places to feed food and water, with First Aid available if required. The Lord places us in communities of faith, not to get from it what we want for ourselves, but to support one another on the journey of faith that will take us to be with Him forever. There are many commands in the Bible which finishes with the words, “… one another”: “Love one another”; “Encourage one another”; “pray for one another”, etc (search for the ‘one anothers’ in the Bible) Consider how you can help others in our congregation become more like Jesus. Likewise, we need to feed our souls on God’s Word and receive the First Aid of His forgiveness as we need it.
The Christian journey is a wonderful journey which will lead us to heaven. Are you walking in the right direction on that journey, keeping going with the Lord, adjusting as you face different challenges and offering/receiving help on the long way?
