Keep Going - even when it's hard!
What you will need:
- Any kind of wind up toys - make them all different.
- A hard surface to race them on (It won't work on carpet!)
- A measuring tape to see who got the furthest on one wind up.
Helpful to Know:
If you ask a Christian of any age if they find it easy to keep following Jesus, many will say no.
They will often find it hard for lots of different reasons.
Some even give up.
What the Bible Says:
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Keep looking right in front of you.
Think carefully about the paths that your feet walk on.
Always choose the right ways.
From: Proverbs Chapter 4 verses 25-26
Some Questions:
- Do you get tired when walking somewhere?
- And do you get slower and slower before stopping?
Maybe you become grumpy and complain that you can’t walk a step further!
It’s a bit like watching a wind up walking toy.
It walks for a while, gets slower and then stops.
It needs winding up again to keep going!
Prepare to race the toys and see which one can go the furthest on one wind up. (If you give them a gentle finger flick, they will sometimes take an extra couple of steps!)
Sometimes it can be like this when you’re a Christian.
It can be hard to keep following Jesus.
Sometimes we slow down and want to give up.
Sometimes we stop.
Ponder:
- What can make it hard to be a Christian?
- Have a chat with the people you’re with and see what they find hard about being a Christian.
- Maybe some of them are stopping because they can’t see the point of carrying on.
- Be brave and tell them what you find hard.
Pray:
Wind up your toy and set it walking.
As you watch it:
- Think about what you and others said whilst pondering.
- Pray that you and your friends would keep following Jesus, even when it’s hard.
- Pray that you will all want to keep following Jesus, no matter how you all feel.
Here's a great song from Steve Morgan-Gurr (Part of Team Platypus) about keeping on walking with Jesus.
It's very short!
You can make up some actions to it if you want to.
©2023. Kay Morgan-Gurr. Pondering Platypus Resources. Please credit when using this activity in a church/organisational setting.
