..and she’s buying…the stairway…to heaven…
For many in this culture, the Christian walk is much like the Led Zeppelin rock classic,
“Stairway to Heaven.”
We see our initial salvation experience as a chance to now climb the stairs. We give our life to Christ… and we “buy the stairway to heaven”…and now the work begins.
Step after step. Climbing, ever climbing.
Each new book, every sermon, every well-meaning Christian friend, tells us about another step we need to climb, we have to climb.
Soon that initial ecstasy of knowing our sins were forgiven and we are accepted by our glorious Father is replaced by weariness, deep bone-tired weariness. No matter how many steps we take, when we look ahead all we see is what seems to be an infinite number of steps.
But…
We carry on because of the promise…the promise of being closer to God…of experiencing His presence…of more answers to prayer….of obtaining a “new” anointing…of finally doing enough….
The twins of distance and delay keep us trudging along.
“You’re not close enough to God YET…but you will be…just keep climbing…”
“You haven’t arrived…YET…but you are getting closer…don’t stop…keep going…keep on climbing…”
Soon this walk with Father that started as a skip and a frolic becomes a monotonous onerous chore. No matter how well you perform, how “good” you do…there is always more to do. No matter how high you jump, the bar is always set just a little bit higher…you can’t reach it and you still haven’t arrived…
Some just can’t take it anymore and they sit down and decide to live on the staircase. Others in anger, or more likely in hurt, decide to descend the staircase never to return. However, many–maybe most– continue on…one more step…just one more step. They trudge on, their heads hanging low, shoulders sagging, lifting each foot a battle.
But they (we….I…) just can’t quit.
If you are feeling this weariness, the weariness of the stairway to heaven…
I have a secret.
Shhhhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone.
The minute you said “yes” to Jesus you were immediately, instantaneously, automatically placed at the top of the staircase…and seated. YES. Seated with Him…in the heavenly realms.
You don’t have to ascend the mountain of the Lord…it is your dwelling place.
You don’t have to struggle with the steps to being a good Christian, a good parent, a good friend, a good minister, a victorious Christian, an overcomer. You’ve already taken the ONE step INTO Christ…
and now His life has become your life…His accomplishments have become your accomplishments….
His righteousness becomes your righteousness…..
And His holiness, your holiness.
You have ALREADY arrived.
It is time for a feast, not a fast.
It is time for rest, not wrestling.
Rest in Him. Rest in what He accomplished on your behalf. He climbed the stairway. He suffered the cost. He accomplished the impossible on your behalf.
So spend your days in glorious friendship and love and romance with the lover of your soul.
Don’t ever take another step…to get closer to God. He is as close as your own heart.
Now just walk with Him, hand in hand, exploring and delighting in the garden of pleasure that is the Christian life.
