Hope 4 Today: Staying Connected To God In A Distracted CultureSample

Avoiding Toe Pain

A few years ago, I was invited to a conference that was held at a ski lodge in Big Sky, Montana, in June. One afternoon several of us decided to ride the chair lift to the top of the mountain and then walk down (the snow had mostly melted). I thought it would be easy, until my toes began to ache inside my soaking-wet shoes. The constant pressure of pushing down on the tips of my toes to maintain balance was excruciating. I was never so happy to be back on level ground.

Most of us know that walking uphill is difficult, but walking straight down can be equally painful. The same is true with our spiritual life. We know the pain of climbing to the top of the mountain to God, so we avoid it. But we put ourselves in greater pain by walking away—downhill from Him. Trusting God and His will requires spiritual balance. Our lazy souls like to stay on level ground, but God requires that we keep moving up and be spiritually fit to climb life’s mountains with Him. God is at the top, and He wants us up there with Him. And once we’re there? The view’s awesome!

Are you climbing up or walking down today? What do you need to do each day to keep heading uphill (or to get yourself turned around)?