"What doesn't kill you makes you
stronger”* kept ringing in my ears as I climbed up the trail on the
side of the mountain. My lungs were screaming for air and I was
wishing there was some sort of rescue plan for the desperately
out-of-shape, middle-aged woman who had “thought of herself more
highly than she ought.” When I started out that morning, I believed
a nice little walk in nature with a few hills and valleys would be
the perfect exercise but now I wished some helicopter would come over
the horizon to pull me up to level ground where my feet belonged. I
was beginning to believe this would not end in 'strengthening.'
And yet, I survived to live another
day. I was relieved to make it to the top. I am not sure I would
have made it without the encouraging presence of my husband. He took
it slow when I needed to go slow and stopped and waited when I needed
to rest. He stuck with me the entire time even though he could have
gone much faster. He never murmured a single negative comment or let
on how weak I was. When we got to the top, I was grateful not only
for his company but also that he had been there for me when the trail
was tough. His companionship had helped me to persevere in an
exercise that was very difficult and through that perseverance I had
learned I could walk up the side of a mountain.
Hebrews 12 came to my mind this morning
partly because I recalled the part of “Enduring hardship as
discipline” but what I found was a list of encouraging companions
that help us along the way when we encounter that hardship.
Verse 1 gives us a “great cloud
of witnesses” that surround us. The idea here is a stadium
filled to capacity with cheering spectators. The race is about to
begin and the crowd is not only there to witness it but to also shout
out encouragements. These witnesses know what we face because
they have been in our shoes and they too have felt the pre-race
jitters and the moments of doubt about whether would finish or not.
But they know it can be done and so they raise their voices with
enthusiasm to spur us on.
Secondly, we see Jesus in verse 2. He
is called the author and perfecter of our faith. He has written the
how-to book on faith, what it looks like and how to do it. He is
what they call a pioneer who has gone before us to show the
way and now we are instructed to follow in his footsteps. Verse 3
says, “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Jesus
lived as a man and was confronted with the hardships common to man.
We are spurred on when we consider his example of perseverance.
And thirdly, God, the Father (vs7)
walks us through hard times and trains along the way. His motivation
is to give us what we need to have the life he has planned for us:
One full of righteousness and peace (vs11); One that allows us to share in
his holiness (vs10). I love his encouragement in verse 12, “Therefore,”
--
because you want to live a life of peace and righteousness and share
in God's holiness-- “strengthen your feeble
arms and weak knees.” How?
“Run the race marked out for us”, “Consider him [Jesus] who
endured such opposition” and “Endure hardship as discipline”. Easy. Hardly. This a one of those 'good news, bad news' situations. The bad news is "No disciple seems pleasant at the time, but painful." But the good news --"Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (vs11)
Last week, I repeated the hike that
almost did me in. This time with the blessing cooler weather and
stronger muscles, the thought of not finishing never entered my mind.
I did have to take it slow and even stop to catch my breath a few
times but the trip itself was much easier. My husband cheered for me
as I reached the top and pointed out we had completed the climb in
half the time. WooHoo! What an accomplishment.
It is true that “What doesn't kill us does make us stronger” but isn't it a good thing we don't have to
go it alone when life produces hardship. We are surrounded, shown the
way, and instructed by some pretty encouraging companions. Boy, do
they ever make life and its seemly constant uphill climb a whole lot
easier.
“Two people are
better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one
person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who
falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close
together can keep warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person
standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand
back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple
stranded cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes
4:9-12 New Living Translation
*”That
which does not kill us makes us strong.” Friedrich Nietzsche
