The express elevator promises to zoom us to the 50th floor in seconds and we think: “Stairs or Elevator?”
“Stairs? Are you kidding me!? That’s an easy answer—I’m taking the ELEVATOR.”
If you connect this metaphor with our Christian life, taking spiritual stairs is often the only way to reach our full potential in Christ. There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth and maturity.
Taking the metaphorical elevator in our faith walk has a significant downside…
The trip to the 50th floor goes through the 10th, 20th, the 30th, and the 40th floors first. Rushing past the lower floors makes our journey an incomplete experience. And that is exactly how it is with our faith walk.
Earlier in my faith walk my bloated “to-do list” and succeed-at-all-costs, money-driven approach to life treated everything as URGENT and I chose the elevator every time.
God has shown me how important it is to identify a transformative faith step—the first flight of stairs—and then use that energetic stride as a catalyst to move ever closer to him.
That’s why I do not take the spiritual elevator.
For me, I ask God to keep me from pursuing instant gratification in my spiritual walk. To help me see the value in every step I take toward him. To use every moment to grow my faith for his ever-present glory.