Devotional
The Fastest Way Up
I've closed just about every story I've written with the same line: "Remember, the fastest way up is to kneel down." Somebody asked me once if I ever get tired of it. Not yet.
Here's why. When I was in the Army, they taught us how to get low. You hit the ground when the rounds start flying, and you stay low until you know which way to move. The soldier who stands up straight in the middle of it to look brave doesn't usually get a second chance.
Life works the same way. When the bills stack up, the doctor calls, or a kid stops talking to you, everything in you wants to stand up and fight it on your own. We think kneeling looks weak. It's the opposite.
James 4:10 puts it plainly: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." Notice who does the lifting. It isn't you. You do the kneeling; He does the lifting.
Peter found that out on the water. As long as his eyes were on Jesus, he walked. The second he looked at the wind, he sank, and the only thing he could do was cry out, "Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:30). Jesus reached out His hand right then. Not after Peter got himself together. Right then.
So let me ask you: what are you trying to stand up under on your own today? What would it look like to get down on your knees about it, for real, before you make the next phone call or write the next check?
As you go through your day, try this. Before you face the hard thing, stop and kneel, even if it's just for a minute beside the bed or in the truck with the engine off. Tell Him the truth about it. Then get up and go, knowing you're not carrying it alone.
May God bless you and keep you safe in all that you do. Remember, the fastest way up is to kneel down.