Spotlight 5/2021: Look up and persevere
As a little boy, Enrique learned to ride a bike. Still today he remembers some advice from his father that helped him. Thoughts on our annual motto from District Apostle Enrique Minio, who lives in Argentina.
The Lord has chosen us, He is the author of our faith and makes it possible that we reach the goal. We need Him to reach that goal; thus, we should always fix our eyes on Jesus, look up, and persevere.
When I think of this expression, I cannot help remembering when I first learned to ride a bicycle. Getting the necessary balance was a challenge that seemed impossible to achieve. I could not do it on my own, thus my father gradually explained the theory to me. However, there was a big difference between theory and practice. He was determined to help me, he held the seat with his hand and ran behind me with full dedication. I remember two expressions from him that helped me to learn.
“Don’t look down, you should always look up, ahead.”
Just like any inexperienced cyclist, I always looked at the front wheel, I looked down. At that moment, I heard my father’s voice saying, “Don’t look down, you should always look up, ahead.” The daily struggle burdens us, worries us. Our common enemy wants to divert us from the goal and thus expects that we attach more importance to material things and look down. This makes us “fall off the path of faith”; the same result we get when we look down while riding a bicycle. Let us consciously look up, to Jesus Christ. We will find clarity in Him, and our decisions will be the right ones.
“Pedal faster, don’t stop!”
Secondly, when I was learning to ride my bike there were times when I would lose my balance as the speed of the bike slowed down (on uphill slopes or difficult roads). Then, my father would tell me, “Pedal faster, don’t stop.” The word we have received for this year is related to a race, a competition, a challenge that leads us along difficult ways or uphill slopes. It demands effort and perseverance. It is an endurance race. We should pedal faster so as not to lose balance when our faith falters, which means being steadfast in prayer, participating in divine services to hear the word of God, striving to act according to the word we receive, trusting in Christ time after time, serving God and our neighbour with joy. Then we will not lose the balance of faith and we will reach the goal.
Christ is our future; to Him we look and from Him we draw the strength to reach the day of the fulfilment of the promise. Let us decide for Christ every day!
Photo: INA Sud América
