The Tortoise and the Hare

Do you remember the Aesop’s fable, The Tortoise and the Hare? I think that fable has something to say to me as a Christian.

You see, sometimes I am the hare. Mr. Hare was confident that he could outrun the slow, plodding tortoise. He was pretty sure of his own abilities, and he started out well.

I, too, start well. I read my Bible, chapter upon chapter. I pray. I listen to sermons, and my life is consumed with the practice of my faith. But then, I pause.

I think, “I am already ahead for the year – I can skip a few days. Or, I will catch up after vacation.” And right then my hare characteristics begin to show themselves. Dependent on my own abilities, I forget about diligence and faithfulness and relationship with my Lord. I reduce my faith to a checklist of chapters to read or acts to perform,

and that was never what God intended.

Bible reading and prayer are not a part of my ‘to do’ list. Instead, they are the lifeline of my spiritual life. They connect me to my Father.

Diligence is an interesting word. Used only a few times in scripture, it carries the meaning of careful and persistent effort. Synonyms include commitment, earnestness, persistence, and continuance. Antonyms are laziness and carelessness. When I think of diligence, I think of continuing on and paying attention to something.

I am a child of God, bought by His sacrifice on the cross. He has redeemed me. This relationship is eternal, and it is worth paying attention to. While my salvation is not dependent on my own righteousness, my relationship with my Lord is worth diligence.

So much of Christianity in America today seems to be hit or miss. We attend church if there is nothing better to do. We are in love with Jesus, and then we are not. We serve when it is convenient. We choose the easiest route, the path of least resistance. Sort of like Mr. Hare. We are convinced that we, emphasis on the self, can make it happen.

Mr. Tortoise on the other hand continues on. He steadfastly moves ahead. He may not be quick or daring or spectacular. But he is persistent. What you see today, you will see tomorrow. You can count on his commitment, his faithfulness.

As I think about these fictional characters, I know that I want my life to be more like the steadfast life of the tortoise. I want to depend on my Lord daily, live for Him daily, commune with Him daily, walk with Him daily, serve Him daily.

In the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians, Paul offers a beautiful treatise on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its application to our own resurrection. He ends with a verse that speaks to our reasonable response to this truth.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58, KJV).

This verse reminds me of the tortoise, and I want this verse to be my testimony. I’ll just let Mr. Hare rest his haunches under a tree somewhere.

Photo – Deeply Rooted, Beth Mims