The other day I was in a department store waiting at a counter to be served. I turned around to look around while I was waiting and there strait across my way was a young boy (early grade school age) having the time of his life going UP the DOWN escalator! I remember doing this as a child and enjoying the challenge of trying to remain stationary…not advancing and not losing ground…but just keeping matching pace in the opposite direction.
Remember how fun it was to go in the opposite direction? As I watched him and reminisced in my mind, it dawned on me that this boy is going nowhere…literally. There was Lots of motion but no momentum or progress. His life was a picture of “getting nowhere fast!” It dawned on me that so much of life can be this was when we slip into auto-pilot mode. Going up the down escalators of life can be fun if it’s our life goal to remain stationary and spend our energy and time on futility.
Truth is, when we become aware of stationary living, we become depressed and discouraged. We see little or no pay-off or progress from our efforts and we begin to wonder if we will ever move forward in life and get off the “tread-mill” journey and make it to the top of some peak…any peak!
The Bible says, “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15). What “matters” was Paul referring to? Among other things, Paul was reminding Timothy of the importance of remaining grounded and nourished in the truth of scripture (vs. 6), physical health and training (vs. 8), hard work (vs. 10), live a godly, exemplary life (vs. 12), use your gifts from God (vs. 14).
Progress is a product of application. We become what we are committed to. Most of us need traction to help us move forward in life. The community we call “church” is a place where God can apply traction to our lives and help us move forward by the coaching, encouragement, equipping and training that others will bring into our lives. Why not start getting re-treaded today!