As I think about people trying to get
better, trying to grow in someway or another, what is brought to my mind is a
rope.
I remember having two different
kinds of ropes in gym class when I was in elementary school.
Rope #1: We had the rope with knots
every step, so if you got tired or slipped, there was always another knot below
you to support you. Additionally, you could rest every step if you were out of
shape. This allowed people to even rest one knot from the top, or rest once
they got to the very top and enjoy the view around them.
Rope #2: We also had a rope that
didn't have any knots at all. This was the kind of rope that you would need to
be really fit in order to climb. You would go up really fast, and be back on
the ground because you couldn't take a break halfway up the rope or you would
lose energy. Even if you did make it to the top, you would quickly be back on
the ground.
Most people go through life
struggling to maintain growth of any kind, they have a rope without any knots
on it. They seem to do better during certain seasons, but when certain
circumstances come, they don't have anywhere to place their feet and rest, any
"knots". So what happens? They slide back down to the ground and go
back to "square one" for a time. Back to the old habits, the old
desires that kept them from growth in the first place.
What I am here to tell you is that
there is a better rope. A rope that has knots that you can put your
full weight on and even rest on as you take one step at a time towards growth
in your life.
"Because of his (God's) glory and excellence, he has given us
great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share
his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human
desires." (2 Peter 1:4)
You
may say, wait a second! I'm not God! None of us are. But when we believe and
put our trust in the first "knot", the first promise that Jesus died
and rose again so we could escape the results of sin and our selfish desires;
when we believe that promise and ask Jesus' to save us from sin and its various
effects on our lives, we receive the Holy Spirit who is able to progress us
towards God and away from what we are doing that we know is not progressing us
towards what God wants for us.
God then continues to show us
many promises, many "knots" we can rely on according to who He is and
what He has done for us. After the first promise though, it's tempting to go
back to the ground. In some ways, it's easier to ditch the goal of being more
like Jesus, the perfect man. But why go back to ground after you've just begun?
God always has another knot, another promise that we can step on in order to
bring us closer to Him.
Maybe that next promise is the reality that when we walk in
obedience to God's desire, his will for our lives, we can, Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them
(your enemies), for the LORD your God is the one who is going with you. He will
not fail you or abandon you! (Deut
31:6, NET)
Now, there is one who is
able to keep you from falling (Jude
1:24) and His promises can be relied upon. One knot at a time, through
obedience to what God wants for us as shown in His Word, the Bible, and by the
leading of His Spirit, we can progress towards a closer relationship with God
and thus reflect Him better to this broken world as His light shines on us and
we shine to the world around us through being closer to Him.
So what is the next knot, the next promise that God
wants you to step onto? The promise of who He is or of what He has done
for you?
Lord, thank you that you have
established promises in Your Word telling us what You are like and how You
work in line with your character for those who trust and are obedient
to You. Show us the next knot that we can step on to be closer to You. Help us
to be obedient to You before our selfish desires and we trust that You will use
us as we progress towards You. In Jesus' name, Amen.