The View is Worth the Climb

During one of my final days with the Navigator short term mission team ladies, we stopped along our journey at the "World's Steepest Street". Of course, there is some controversy over whether it is TRULY the steepest street, Baldwin Street is listed in the Guiness' book of world records. If you're keen to know more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Street,_Dunedin

Meredith, our official "Legolas", sprang up the street like it was flat. Still, Alycia, Sarah and I followed not too far behind and were thrilled to reach the top.
As I've had time to reflect over that experience (and the pain has left my legs) it brought to mind the Christian experience. You start out excited at the prospect of making it to the top. Yet, the road in front is often more like a wall than an actual way. If you look all the way to the top as you climb, you lose balance and tend to tip backwards a few steps, or fall altogether. It is only knowing that Jesus faced an even steeper climb to complete His mission in life that gives us hope that we too can do it, with His help.

The passage that God has brought up from the depths of my heart of late is, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

Being with young women who gave up their summer to come to New Zealand and partner in the gospel with ISM during the bitter winter causes me to be grateful. In fact, serving alongside so many who sacrifice "self" for the sake of Jesus is humbling and encouraging.

The climb up the 'steepest street' reminds me that God will carry on the work He began in us! Once a soul is awakened by God's amazing grace, and through faith comes to Him... a new work has begun. God has changed us. He has given us a new heart and put a new spirit in us... not given us a weak spirit, but filled us with His Holy Spirit, Who's role it is to glorify Jesus. That means that the work God will carry on in us will continue to change us to become more and more like Jesus - every day. He changes our desire to please "self" and gives us a passion to please Him.

So often it feels like a climb, and at various points in that climb our lungs seize up and its hard to catch the next breath. So we pause, bend over a bit to drink in air. Finally it comes and as it flows into our bloodstream, we can carry one. So it is with our daily walk with God. There are times when we hit those lows, spiritually and physically. But, by stopping to breath in God's Word and pause to rest in Him, we can regroup and continue to climb.

He WILL complete the work He began in you... for His glory and for our delight!

In the words of the apostle Paul, I pray for you this prayer: "that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11