A cold, narrow wire. My bare toes, trying to grip it, arms stretched out, wobbling, balancing, whoa! Easy, there! Don’t fall!
A tight rope that hovers over the pit of sin. A selfish thought, a rebuke spoken harshly, thoughts of despair – they all send me toppling. I fall to my knees, gripping the cable with all four of my limbs, clinging tightly. In my sinful flesh, I fear I’m always just a moment away from falling head-first into a wasteland of self-centered living. What would make me happy? “I just want to be happy.” Or peaceful. Or right. Or liked. Or secure. Or have whatever it is that I want at that very moment.
As I doodled this thought process, it started coming into focus. If life were a tight rope (follow along with me here,) then I have a secure belt around my waist called “Jesus’s righteousness.” Righteousness is simply: right thinking, feeling, and acting. Jesus was always perfect in all of this. I am not. But my belief in Him affixed this belt permanently around my torso and now, He has me.
Then, there’s the tether. A rope, crafted of love and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, that belays me and keeps me from spiraling down. It has threads of the Word of God, Worship Music, Church, Thankfulness, The Promises of God, Other Believers.
And God Himself is holding the other end of the rope.
“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” Proverbs 24:16
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly, He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
Psalm 37:23-24
It’s good, I think, for me to realize how weak I am in myself. My heart is only made new by the love of Jesus.
Our time of worship on Sunday was like the rope tugging me back up, standing me straight again. “His love never fails and never gives up… and on, and on, and on, and on it goes…” (One Thing Remains)
So I can walk in faith, and not fear. In love, and not selfishness. In confidence, and not despair.
Have you ever thought of life in these terms? What has God used to give you a gentle tug so you can stand straight and walk in love again?
