The Christian life is like climbing a mountain. For some people the climb is a gently sloping ascent; for other people the climb is like attacking the north face of the Eiger.

Christina Rossetti wrote:

“Does the road wind uphill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.

Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?

From morn to night, my friend.” 

Whether our climb is easy or difficult, we need to be in shape spiritually and to travel light. 

To be in shape spiritually, we need spiritual nourishment and exercise. We need to spend less time reading about the Bible and spend more time studying the Bible. Then we need to apply what we learn—carefully and vigorously—to our lives, to live out daily what we have taken in.

To travel light, we need to lighten our loads. Some of us may need to trim off excess weight. Others of us have too many social involvements and too many meetings to attend.

Times change, situations vary, and God’s orders to His followers are individualized. But the need and the message continue the same—and the goal. It’s up to us to be in shape and to travel light.  

 

Taken by permission from “Legacy of a Pack Rat,” by Ruth Bell Graham, ©1989 The Ruth Graham Literary Trust.