Striving Together

How do we motivate one another? In this passage, the root word for “motivate” is “paroxusmos,” which means to stimulate or provoke. How do we provoke one another to acts of love and good works?

I competed in rowing, both in kayaking and dragon-boating, in my high school. A dragon boat requires 20 rowers, 1 drummer and 1 steerer. During the numerous gym sessions, we provoked one another to carry heavier weights and to do one more. We did our runs as a team, encouraging one another to keep going as we ran in steps. While rowing, we were motivated as one, every stroke synchronized in perfect rhythm to the beating of the drum.

Looking back at those days, I know that I could go through those tough trainings because there were teammates provoking me to better myself every day. I became strong due to the regular striving together with like-minded people moving towards a common goal.

As children of God, we must motivate one another to something more challenging than physical training; we must provoke fellow brothers and sisters to spiritual training; to acts of love and good works.

To do that, we must first surround ourselves with a community of believers. That means building bonds with fellow brothers and sisters and making an effort to meet regularly. What do we do within a community of believers?

As a community of believers, we are not just gathering to chat or to have fun. Just as a sports team comes together for the common goal of being better and competing well in the sport, believers gather to encourage one another to make disciples as we shine with the love of God, living a Christ-like life. Our teammates in sport provoke us in physical, skill, tactical and mental training. Our teammates in Christ provoke us with the Word of God and lift us in prayer and dependence on God. We need teammates who will tell us truthfully if we are getting off-track, losing focus or doing something wrong.

You are not alone. Surround yourself with a community of believers who can provoke you in truth and love. Strive together!