Once there were two men standing at the bottom of a mountain. At the top of the mountain there was a beautiful spot to relax, view the world and bask in the sunlight. One of the men hopped in a cable car and rode gently to the top. The other man was too proud to ride in the cable car, exclaiming that he could climb it the good old fashion way, with his finger nails. While one basked in the sunlight at the top, the other was clinging for dear life on the side of the mountain with nothing but his pride and his fingernails to save him from falling.
Almost every testimony has a similar theme. Many of us reach a point of “self-reliance” where we decide that we are going to take the world on alone. Then as we start to realize that we made a mistake, our pride kicks in and we resist God even more. It is only a matter of time before we hit our unique version of “Rock Bottom.” Then we finally succumb to the fact that our way doesn’t work and we need a relationship with our heavenly Father. This is not an accident. God designed each of us with a hole in our heart that only he can fill. He designed the world and our unique life journey such that we cannot succeed in a sustainable manner without him. Awareness around this simple fact could save you years of trying to climb the mountain with your fingernails. Some people figure it out quickly, others after a while, and some will sadly go to their grave with nothing but their pride and broken finger nails.
“I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus is the cable car that will take you to the Father. Whether it is pride, heritage, self-importance or self-reliance, I challenge you to become aware of your resistance so you can jump in the cable car and ride gently to our Heavenly Father.