UPHILL CLIMBS AND DOWNWARD STROLLS
I recently walked from a Metro station outside Washington, DC, to the small apartment where I was staying. About five minutes into my 1.2-mile hike, I realized that most of my walk would be uphill. The sidewalks and yards were well-maintained, but those things did not help my aching legs. The weather was hot, and my calves were burning from the sustained ascent.
The next day, I decided to travel the same path back to the Metro. Thankfully, it was all downhill! There was a spring in my step, and my trip time was considerably shorter. Like trips to and from the Metro station, my life has been filled with uphill climbs and downhill strolls. Both things are needed to help us grow and learn in life.
Uphill climbs teach us the importance of endurance. Paul told Timothy, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). You cannot go forward in life without endurance. That endurance can only come by means of self-denial and divine dependency. You have to disregard the pain you feel and lean on the One who is greater than yourself.
Uphill climbs reveal our weaknesses. When faced with challenges and obstacles that are seemingly insurmountable, anxiety and fear begin to overtake our minds and hearts. Psalm 143:3 gives a glimpse into the human heart: “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is desolate.” When our weaknesses are revealed, we are humbled and knowledgeable of how we need to grow.
Downward strolls give us the reprieve and refreshment that we need. The psalmist gives a wonderful description of this refreshment in Psalm 23:2, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.” God knows what we need and when we need it. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the seasons of refreshing when they come.
Downward strolls help us to see how much ground we have covered. There is nothing like getting to the foot of a mountain or the bottom of a hill and remembering the grueling hike a few hours earlier. There is a sense of accomplishment and wonder as you see the path you took. Joshua encouraged the children of Israel to look back and see how God delivered them in Joshua 24:17, “For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage . . .”
I am no scientist, but I think it was Sir Issac Newton who discovered the Law of Gravity. In an oversimplified form, it is simply stated, “What goes up must come down.” This is not just true in physical science but also in the rhythms of life. If you are enduring the uphill climbs, be sure to enjoy the downward strolls when they come. And just remember this: both will get you to the destination where you need to be.