Teaching Tuesday / "No Climbing Necessary"

My pictures today are some more from our trip last fall when we were climbing in the North Carolina mountains, but I want to share with you today about a wonderful place I have discovered that requires no climbing. It is a place that we need to share with our children, because it is absolutely divine. This wonderfully fabulous place is at the foot of the Cross of Christ. One of the things that make it so lovely is a sign which reads:

"It is finished . . . No Climbing Necessary!"

Let me explain.

I spent far too much of my adult life vying for the attention of others. I was driven by the need to be loved and accepted. I spent my days locked in the prison of people-pleasing, seeking people praise. Bounding from one giant feat of accomplishment to the next, ever striving to out do the last task so as to increase the amount of praise accompanying it. I was miserable!

I can't tell you the day not the hour, but there came a time when revelation came. As I knelt at Christ's cross, I finally realized, IT doesn't get any higher than this! My worth, my value, was written in immortal ink - Christ's Blood! My unconditional acceptance was sealed with three small words . . .

"It is FINISHED!"

So you see, I no longer have to strive to achieve. Oh what a blessed realization to know that I can just "BE"! I am God's child, His beloved daughter.

Now you may say, "Oh, you mean when you got saved you found this blessed place of peace." Oh, how I wish it were so, but such is not the case. Even after my salvation experience , I spent more than 15 years locked in this prison of striving to gain my value, never realizing that Jesus was the very key to unlock the door of my self-imposed jail cell.

How about you? I hope that you are wiser than I, because I know from experience that trying to work enough "good deeds" to earn the peaceful status of resting in Him is an impossible task. There are no titles more valuable or more important. No mountains of self-exaltation, ladders of success, or praise of man that can compare to the knowledge of basking in Daddy G's unconditional love.

So you see, sitting here at the foot of the cross is a position that Christ purchased for me - for you. It's beautiful here. The Son always shines, and the grass is fresh spring green. The air is breathtakingly sweet. Come on. I'll scoot over and give you room to rest here with me. After all,

"It is finished . . . There's no climbing necessary!"

Psst! Bring your kiddos, too! They will love this place!

#TeachingTuesday #NoClimbingNecessary