The formative years
As someone who has grown up learning about God and the Bible, I cannot remember a time when I did not know about God. Somehow in our memories, we can always trace back to Bible verses we were encouraged to recite or songs we would sing as children in church.
All these motions have been engrained into my life and yours too.
Motions that unknowingly translate into morals and habits.
A commitment to follow
As we become older and have more understanding, we tend to commit to following God for ourselves. However, we naively recommit time and time again because we didn’t realise believing once was enough.
Now in our twenties, it seems like we have been a follower of Jesus for so long. It has become the longest commitment that has persisted in our lives.
As pessimistic as it sounds, it is a lifetime commitment to follow Jesus. It is no longer a childish ‘come and go’ experience. We belong to God forever.
However, some quit holding onto God altogether when this life becomes mundane or lonely.
A reason to not give up
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1-2)
It is trying when our friends or colleagues are not followers of Jesus. There is a temptation to fit into how the world tells us to live and to try something new and different.
But thinking about our lives as running on an athletic track is helpful because it reminds us there are people around us in this journey watching and encouraging us.
More people who are followers than we think or know.
Also, Jesus is right before us, waiting at the finish line for us to finish the race too.
In a context like this, giving up is harder.
When life gets in the way
Inevitably, our lives are busier now than a few decades ago. With advancing technology, we try to complete multiple tasks while changing screens on a single device. We think we can accomplish so much more and sacrifice true rest.
The habits and rhythms engrained into our lives as children are easily lost. Busyness and tiredness become a considerably common excuse. Somehow, we can expend ourselves on one more task and willingly give up minutes with God.
It is easy to get bogged down when juggling all of life’s demands and trying to maintain a decent work-life balance.
The pressing task becomes the most important.
We lose sight of our eternal future.
Rest in being and not doing
We always wish to be a child again and not an adult. We forget all along that as followers of God, we are called to be God’s child. So let us reconsider our lives as children and the rhythms we had learnt to live.
Let us refocus on the racetrack with Jesus right in front of us.
Imagine hearing the people in the stadium cheering you on by name. The very people you value and look up to have not given up on you.
No matter how frequently you may have quit or thought about giving up, God has not given up on you.
God is waiting patiently to bring you back to the finish line. Even though he knows the moments you’ve looked down and metaphorically put your hands over your ears to shut out the overwhelming noise.
Jesus is still right before you. And with each step forward, you are one step closer to the eternal heavenly embrace. Into the loving arms of the Father God, you learnt and sang about many years ago as a child.
The choice is yours
As I read about king Josiah, I was immensely encouraged and inspired by how he wholeheartedly followed God at a young age.
Josiah made notable reforms in his twenties that are documented in the Bible now for our learning today. In his position as king, he had so many things he could be engaged in, but he chose God above all competing tasks and distractions.
He is another role model for us all.
Being in our twenties is not the time to give up following God, nor is it the time to turn to worldly ways.
Like king Josiah, we have numerous opportunities to reform our own lives and the lives of others as we step forward with zeal and courage.
Stephanie enjoys simple living, admiring nature’s beauty and intricacy, and playing the piano. She is particularly passionate about empowering the vulnerable. Writing is her way of processing thoughts and feelings to understand herself, God and the world in a deeper and more meaningful way.