“Wise people walk the road that leads upward to life.” (Proverbs 15:24a The Good News Translation)
I’m the guy that gets on your very last nerve at the airport. You know, the one who gets on the moving sidewalk but just stands, waiting until he gets to the end. Yeah, that’s me! I’m also the guy who gets in the escalator that is going upward and stands with my luggage taking up its own private space, just like it has a reservation. I do not take one step, but I wait patiently until I get to the landing. Now that you know who I am, let me tell you something to substantiate the statement above, “Up Means Up!
On a recent trip to the airport, I followed my usual routine. As I approached the up escalator, two people stepped on right before me. They had the same philosophy, “Let the machine do its job!” I looked right behind me, and a man was approaching the escalator walking at a fast pace. He looks at the three of us ahead of him, stationary, enjoying a peaceful ride to the next floor. He was impatient, so he decided to go up the down elevator. The funny thing is that we passed him and got to the landing before him. I wanted to laugh until I cried, but I opted to keep my laughter inside of me.
Let’s look at my escalator experience through the prism of your daily, Christian experiences. (In your case, there should not be any other kind of experiences, right?) My advice to you is to remember, “Up Means Up.” Choosing an option that is not intended to take you upward will delay your progression. I’m saying that if you think that you will get to your desired landing quicker than following truism, “Up Means Up,” you are wrong. This is true in regard to your career, your search for true happiness, your means to gain wealth and material possessions, the mending of a relationship, or experiencing inner peace, free from anxiety. “Up Means Up” and you and me, we must press on the upward way in regard to all our targeted destinations, objectives, and goals.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! Follow the example of the Apostle Paul as expressed in the closing verse, and remember on our journey, upward is the way we should travel. “Up Means Up! Be blessed!”
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 New American Standard Version)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King