By Kathy Sinclair
Well it’s now week 3 of working from home for BWAA. Perhaps if I’m entirely honest, the novelty is beginning to wear off! The much anticipated (although very different from planned) Easter Weekend is behind us and long weeks of this new and very different world stretch ahead. “How much longer?” is the question that springs to mind. The very question small children drive parents mad with on roadtrips! I’m even tempted to use the same whiney voice!
When I feel I’m losing my way, God’s word just has an amazing ability to get me back on track. Hebrews 12:1-3 speaks of “throwing off the sin that so easily entangles” (yes OK, grumbling about missing my colleagues, my family, my friends, the disrupted plans and so on) and it reminds me to run with perseverance the race marked out. Ahh! So the race was already planned, God, unlike humanity, is not surprised by Coronavirus. Being alive in the midst of this pandemic, is part of the course that has been marked out for each of us alive today. How I live each day during this worldwide crisis, really matters. God’s word reminds me that continuing to live in a way that honours Him, is going to require perseverance!
The New Testament has a lot of imagery of the life of faith being like a race. It’s not talking about a quick dash, but rather that gold standard of exercise – the Marathon. There is a need to press on through the journey of life, even when the going gets tough. We need to aim to finish well. Often on Saturday morning a “Fun Run” goes past my house. From the comfort of my couch, as I watch all the runners of different ages and running styles streaming past, it looks really hard work to me. How do the words fun and run belong together? I don’t get it.
The writer of Hebrews reminds me that I won’t be able to persevere if I look at myself and my own inadequacies, like my dislike of running! The way to keep going and press on through these extraordinary Coronavirus days – is to keep my eyes firmly fixed on the Lord Jesus. Precious Jesus! How can I complain when he endured so much on his journey to the cross for me? When I remember that, especially in this Easter season, I don’t grow weary of the social distancing and I don’t lose heart at the state of the world. When I fix my eyes on Jesus, I feel a renewed sense of perseverance and a desire to shine His light through my life in whatever way I can.
BWAA is also seeking to persevere during these difficult times. As an organization we believe we are called by Jesus to “step into” not away from the problems refugees and those living in developing countries are facing. Coronavirus is a severe trial when you can’t socially isolate, there’s no running water or soap and the medical system is totally inadequate even in normal times. If you would like to know more about our work or the “COVID-19 Emergency Appeal”, please visit our website or click https://baptistworldaid.org.au/appeals/covid-19-global-emergency/
Kathy Sinclair is the BWAA Church Relationship Manager in Western Australia. Kathy joined Baptist World Aid in January 2019. She comes to the role having spent 11-years on staff at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Western Australia, as the Children and Families Pastor. In more recent years, she also held responsibility for overseeing the church’s mission ministry. Kathy has been a speaker for Christian Women Communicating Internationally (CWCI) for several years, where she enjoys the privilege of travelling around Western Australia to teach God’s word. She enjoys visiting church communities to share about the work of Baptist World Aid and how individuals and congregations can respond effectively to God’s heart for the poor and needy. Kathy is married to Mark and has two children and a daughter-in-law.
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