Don't Let Go of the Rope!
Rule #1 for belaying in rock climbing and ropes courses is to not let go of the brake strand of the rope. At college, my son watched firsthand why this is the most important rule, along with staying vigilant. As a way for incoming students to bond, my son’s college requires its students to either go camping for a week over the summer or take an outdoor education class where one weekend they camp and participate in fun bonding and trust activities, such as a rope course. My son chose the latter.
The bonding goal of the students was achieved. The trust and reliance on each other… maybe not so much. As one student walked the ropes course, another was set up to do the belaying, and a third was a backup. The main belayer and the backup started talking. Both were distracted, the ropes course student slipped, and the belay rope sped through their hands. The student hit the ground with a thud but, praise God, wasn’t hurt.
It's easy to get distracted in life with so many bright and shiny objects vying for our attention. But it only takes a second for us to become lax and take our eyes off Jesus. The rope slips through our fingers, and disaster strikes. Here are some reasons why we need to be ready and stay vigilant:
Jesus is coming back. When my boys were young, they’d be in the middle of playing, hear the garage door open, and run to wait at the top of the steps to greet their dad. We can get busy playing life, but we must keep our hearts in tune with the Holy Spirit to recognize Jesus’s return. We want to be found ready, not napping on the couch on Sunday morning, or missing His arrival because we set down our Bibles to watch funny fail videos on YouTube. Matthew 24:42 reminds us, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
We don’t want to miss opportunities. Being alert doesn’t just mean watching out for bad things. It also means being ready for when God brings something good along. Be ready to step into that blessing, whether it’s getting promoted, helping a friend, or talking to an acquaintance about God. Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”
Evil isn’t waiting for an invitation. It’s looking for weakness. When we take our eyes off the road while driving, we tend to drift. The same goes when we get spiritually complacent. We drift away from God’s protection and, like the water buffalo who strays from the herd, we become easy prey. 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
The last thing we want is to look down and see the rope flying through our fingers. By then, it’s too late, so stay vigilant in watching for Jesus’s return. We can do this by spending time in God’s presence, inviting Him into our daily lives, praying for our eyes and ears to be open to opportunities, and putting on the full armor of God daily. Also, find a fellow believer and do a Bible study to stay in God’s word, because iron sharpens iron. A fellow Christian can challenge us to stay on our toes but also keep us rooted.
Ask God to make us sensitive to His Spirit and presence. We are living in a time when we need to be able to react quickly to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. If God says change lanes, we need to have our turn signal on and be veering into the other lane for our own protection and because God’s paths are full of His steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalm 25:10).