Lift those drooping hands! (Day 8 of the #encourage marathon)

Therefore lift your drooping hands
and strengthen your weak knees,
and make straight paths for your feet,
so that what is lame may not be put out of joint
but rather be healed.

‭‭~Hebrews‬ ‭12:12-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It’s Day 8 of our 26-day #Encourage Marathon! (You can read yesterday’s post here.)

Someone out there needs a little motivation. It might even be you.

I signed up for the Army JROTC program in High School. My primary reason for joining up was so I could do actual physical activity. The past three years of public school P.E. had been pathetic and I did not anticipate the high school version to be an improvement. My other reason was to get a taste—however limited—of the military.

The PT (Physical Training) was not a disappointment. We usually worked out as a unit. We ran and stretched in formation, did calisthenics in formation, and sang cadence as we pounded (in straight formation rows) around the track. It may sound a bit odd, but I rather enjoyed being hollered at during PT. It was a push to work harder. If Major Bachmann wasn’t barking out, “pick your knees up!” the Platoon leader was shouting, “quit slouching and move it!” While it may sound like a great place to create bullies, it really didn’t. The loud shouts served multiple purposes—it allowed the leader to be heard, created alertness, and strengthened us against intimidation.

In the real military, the soldier must be prepared to face the enemy. Why do you think boot camp is so intense? If a soldier can’t handle a little in-your-face from a commander, they’ll either be slaughtered under the strain of battle or cause loss of life because of their fearful inaction.

If your running is getting slow, or you’re starting to slack off, it’s time for a little sergeant-major-style motivation.

“Lift your drooping hands!” (Start praying!)

“Strengthen your weak knees!” (Get to studying!)

“Make straight paths for your feet!” (Make good choices!)

There are times when we get worn out with struggle. We stop studying. We fail to pray. We aren’t on the alert. We walk in a stupor, shoulders hunched, rubbing every ache. Because we are looking down, we take wrong turns. The Hebrew writer here is practically shouting: “SNAP OUT OF IT!”

Let’s face it—sometimes we need gentle encouragement and sometimes we need a swift kick.

If you’re slouching through this race, it’s time to get your eyes off the ground and fix them on Jesus.

One more rep. One more step.Do the next right thing.

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I hope you’ll continue to join me on Facebook, Twitter and here at Elihu’s Corner for this marathon. Share this verse on your Twitter feed or Facebook page (#encourage). Take time today to copy down this verse for yourself. Send an email or text to someone you know who would benefit from this encouragement.

I cannot encourage you enough to write down these verses. Studies have shown that the physical act of writing increases retention far more than typing or reading.

[If you click on the link in the above passage, it will take you to BibleGateway.com. From here, you can click a link which allows you to share directly to Twitter, Facebook or send an email.]

If you missed the original post listing all 26 passages, click here to download the PDF list.