The Tortoise and The Hare

Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me."

The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge."

"That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you all the way."

"Keep your boasting till you've beaten," answered the Tortoise. "Shall we race?"

So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap.

The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race.

Then said the Tortoise: "Plodding wins the race".

The moral of the story is that the race is not won by the fastest runner; it is won by the consistent runner who keeps up a regular pace; the one who keeps his eye on the goal line and doesn't get distracted by the cares of life. 

The hare thought he was better than all the other animals.  He thought he had it all together and could outrun anyone.  While he was fast, he got caught up in pride and vanity which led to his losing the race. 

The tortoise on the other hand knew his weaknesses and his strengths.  He knew he was not the fastest, but that he would not stop till he had reached his goal. 

There are two types of Christians.  Those who, like the hare, start out strong then get distracted along the way.  They gladly accept salvation and may even attend church for a while.  They might even attend a Bible study group.  However, the cares of life, their old friends, their old habits, old ways of thinking, etc. draw their attention away from the things of God. 

The second type of Christian is like the tortoise.  They begin at a regular pace and consistently grow in their faith.  I believe there are some “Regulars” in the life of this type of believer that are missing in the lives of the first type.

     1.       Regular church attendance.  Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”  Revelation 1:3 “God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.”  It is critical for believers to belong to a body (church) where they receive, spiritual direction (sermons/teachings), fellowship, and have opportunities to minister.

     2.       Regular commitment to Bible study. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”   2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”  If we are not studying the Word, how can it guide our feet or light our path?  We need to be involved in both personal study and if at all possible join a Bible study group where we can interact with others as we study and learn.  Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

     3.       Regular commitment to prayer.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”  Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”  Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.”  Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”  The Bible is full of references to believers praying.  Prayer is the open line of communication between us and the Father. 

     4.       Regular participation in ministry (in or outside the church).  We all need to find our place of ministry.  We all have gifts and talents given to us by God.  It is our responsibility as his followers to use them for his kingdom.  1 Peter 4:10 “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

     5.       Regular practice of the fruit of the Spirit and living by God’s principles. Galatians 5:22-26 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”

There are rewards for living a “regular” Christian life; eternity with Christ for starters.  We will also live lives of joy and peace.  We will live lives of contentment because we will be tapped into our Source.  We will live knowing that we are never alone.  Our BFF is with us 24/7.  He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).  We will live fulfilled lives of service to our King.

Being “regular” is not only a thing to be desired, it is the only way to live!!!!   Let us run the good race and finish the course!!!!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.