In his devotional book Quiet Talks with World Winners, S.D. Gordon recounted a story of a group of amateur climbers who planned to ascend Mount Blanc in the Swiss Alps. On the evening before the climb, the guides outlined the prerequisite for success. They said that due to the difficulty of the climb, one could reach the top by taking only the necessary equipment for climbing, leaving all unnecessary accessories behind.
A young Englishman didn’t listen and proceeded up the mountain with a blanket, a small case of wine, a camera, a set of notebooks, and a pocketful of snacks. On the way to the summit the other climbers began to notice various items left along the path-first the snacks and the wine, a short while later the notebooks and camera, and finally the blanket. The young man managed to reach the peak, but, just as the guides had predicted, he did so only after discarding all his unnecessary paraphernalia.
Gordon made this application to the Christian life: “Many of us, when we find we can’t make it to the top with our loads, let the top go, and pitch our tents in the plain, and settle down with our small plans and accessories. The plain seems to be quite full of tents.â€
Fellow Christian, where is your tent pitched? Have you settled on the plain? Or, are you still following Christ in obedience to the Great Commission? What changes do you need to make to follow Christ in this area? The church is the bride of Christ. The church is of infinite value to Him because He paid an infinite price to redeem her. He willingly endured the pain and shame of the cross to redeem us. How much it must grieve Jesus when we don’t esteem the value of the church and the Great Commission. Let’s not insult our Lord by living as if our goals and plans are more important than His. Let’s follow His example by living sacrificially in order to carry out the work of disciple-making. Let’s recommit ourselves to the great task of making disciples by evangelizing, edifying, and equipping the people around us.
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