The Tight Rope

I don’t like heights. I’m not deathly afraid of them to where I won’t go on roller coasters or tall buildings, but when I look over the edge, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. “What if I fall? What if the railing somehow disappears as I look over the edge? How bad would this hurt if I fell?” My imagination runs wild.

That is why I admire the courage that it takes to be a tight roper. People put their life on the line to walk on a tiny wire stretched across incredible heights. I’ve seen tight ropers walk across anything from sky scrapers, to cliffs, to canyons, to even active volcanos. It is amazing.

While there isn’t a story in the Bible about someone tight roping, there is a character who showed a similar amount of courage. His name is Jeremiah.

When God called Jeremiah, he was around 20 years old serving as a priest in the land of Judah when the nation of Israel had split into northern and southern kingdoms. The word of the Lord came to him saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah responds by saying “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” (Jeremiah 1:4-6) His calling was to speak of the coming judgement, confront the leaders of their sin, and prophesy the Israelites 70-year captivity in Babylon. It was a tough task.

In response to Jeremiah’s reluctance, the Lord tells him “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” (Jeremiah 1:8) Jeremiah obeys the word of the Lord and for 40 years he served as God’s prophet for Judah. He passionately urged the people to repent from their sin and turn to God, but the people did not listen. Not only did they keep disobeying, but they also threw Jeremiah in prison and he was taken to Egypt against his will. He was rejected by his neighbors, his leaders, his audience, and even his friends and family. In fact, he is referred to as “the weeping prophet” because of the sorrow that he experienced during his prophetic ministry. Yet despite his feelings, Jeremiah stood alone declaring God’s message and staying true to his calling.

This isn’t the most positive or encouraging story in the Bible, but we do learn a valuable lesson from the life of Jeremiah. In today’s world, following Jesus wholeheartedly isn’t a popular decision. Like being a tight roper, it takes takes courage, discipline, sacrifice, and a risk of being an outcast. To go against what our culture says is right and wrong and stand up for the truth of word of God will require a step out in faith. People might talk about you and ridicule you simply because they don’t understand what you are doing.

I know for me, this can be the hardest part about faith. I can read my Bible, listen to pastors and speakers, read motivational books, and listen to worship music all day long, but when I come to a place where I have to stand up for what I believe in and risk losing people in my life or getting rejected, I will sometimes just stay quiet. But that is not what God commands us to do. Just like the prophet Jeremiah, God calls us out on the tight rope of faith and tells us “Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and will rescue you”

Maybe you are trying to make some positive changes in your life that is different than the way the people around you are living. Maybe you are trying to break an addiction but it seems like you keep getting tempted back into old habits. Maybe you find yourself in a situation or relationship that you know God doesn’t want you to be in. In moment’s like these, when you find yourself all alone on the tight rope of faith, remember the apostle Paul’s words in the book of Hebrews. He says “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus died for our all of our sins on the cross and he loves us no matter how many times we sin and fall off the tight rope. He promises to rescue us and give us a brand new start every time we repent and turn back to Him. So let’s keep our eyes focused on God and remember that His approval is the only one that matters.

The Bigger Picture: Even though our faith journey on the tight rope can be lonely and scary at times, when we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, we will never fall.