May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had…
Romans 15:5 NIV
Endurance and Encouragement
Ultra endurance athlete Nick Pelletier has done the unthinkable. The Kelowna-based swimmer completed his incredible goal of swimming the entire length of Okanagan Lake from Vernon to Penticton, a distance of 106 kilometres. The young man entered the water in Vernon at 5:18 a.m. this past August 1, swimming for 71 hours until he hit the shore of Penticton’s Okanagan Lake Beach. At roughly 4 a.m. he was met with cheers and congratulations from the sands as the community rallied behind him on his journey that saw him go through three long nights in the water.
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Jesus loves you. That is as simple a Gospel statement as can be made. The Bible tells us that He does and those of us who have put our faith and trust in Him have experienced that love. It makes all the difference as we live our lives today. Paul the apostle tells us how. In Romans 15:5 he writes: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had…” Jesus didn’t have an easy life while on earth. As if leaving heaven and coming to earth wasn’t enough, being fully human meant that He suffered the same physical and emotional pain that we do. When He did, He immediately took it to His heavenly Father who blessed Him with the endurance and encouragement that He needed to carry on. He does the same for you. Knowing that we are loved by Jesus and that He is with us wherever we go and whatever we are facing gives us all we need to carry us through. As Paul says here, be like Jesus.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley