On a hike with Ron (my husband) we had traversed some rugged terrain and were on a steep incline. I was already a little weary and struggling with the grade. Without my even saying anything, Ron came up behind me and put his hand at my lower back. It was a wonderful gentle boost that made the climb so much easier. I gratefully received this nudge so that I could reach our goal.
It occurred to me that if I had not wanted to climb on and upward, I could have been irritated by his effort to help me. If I had wanted to stop for awhile or turn back, I could have found him annoyingly eager or judged him to be impatient or assuming superiority. But I wanted to climb, to see the view from the top and his hand at my back was a welcome pressure.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Heb. 10:24
It seems that if we are eager to climb toward spiritual maturity, we find the spurring of others to be pleasant and helpful. But if we are longing to take a break or turn back, it can be annoying and it is easy to misinterpret the motives of the person trying to help us. Certainly, it is more complex than this simple illistration, but worth pondering. Climb on!
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