I Climb Ladders
Lately I’ve been climbing a lot of ladders. We’re prepping our house to paint so I’ve been scraping the eaves and fascias which requires a ladder. I’m not really afraid of heights but I’m scared of falling off a ladder. During high school, my dad was cleaning the gutters when the ladder slipped out from under him. He fell to our deck and cracked his spine. Fortunately there wasn’t any severe damage. I always have this in the back of my mind whenever I climb ladders. However, there are ladders I climb fearlessly and continuously.
In my counseling class, we talked about the ladders people climb. Ladders of success, fame, looks, athletic abilities, salary, house cleanliness, and almost anything else we can compare with someone else. We are always climbing ladders, whether to be at the top or not be at the bottom. I’ve climbed and continue to climb many ladders. I’ve climbed academic ladders and reached the top on several occasions. I currently climb a salary ladder and realized I’m now climbing a homeowner ladder. I even climb the “Servant” ladder at church. All these ladders are an effort to make me feel successful, like I’ve done something with my life, or I’m better than others. They show case my pride.
From the ground up, it may look like I’ve climbed high. From God’s view, I’m still on the ground. My ladders have enabled me to climb nowhere. There’s only one ladder that goes anywhere of importance. It’s the one that Jesus descended when he came from Heaven to Earth. There is only one way to climb this ladder. It cannot be done by human effort as human effort can only climb human ladders. It requires divinity to climb the divine ladder. We can only climb this ladder on the back of our Savior. It’s grace that carries us up this ladder.
I need to stop climbing my ladders to nowhere and get on the one ladder that matters. I need to stop trying to use my effort and fall on the grace of Jesus. It’s only then will I be able to get anywhere of importance.