Starting Toward Higher Ground

Though saved as a teenager, I was in college before I really got serious about the upward spiritual climb. Two key things happened at the same time at the beginning of my sophomore year – both in response to a single sermon. The first was that I decided to live for God instead of for myself. Though I was pretty commonly viewed as a “good kid,” I had a rebellious nature under the surface. I believed that no one could make me do anything, and I chose to conform to rules and expectations mostly because I preferred to avoid undesirable consequences. At that point in my life, however, I realized the necessity of allowing God to make the calls and be control in my life. I yielded myself to Him – not just for the somewhat nebulous future, but also for the very practical day-to-day life of the present.

The second decision was to begin for the first time in my life to faithfully read the Bible. Without having made the first decision, the second one would not have meant much; it would have been simply more conformity. With a softened heart, however, God’s Word was able to make a difference. I began reading each day and writing down what I was learning. By the end of the year, I had read much of the Bible on my own, chapters and books that I had previously been exposed to mostly only in isolated snatches in sermons.

These decisions played out practically as they made a difference in my life. I started to move upward on the mountain, and the advance was noticeable both to me and to others who observed. At the end of the school year, I had a meeting with my dormitory supervisor. She commented on the significant difference that had occurred in me over the course of the previous eight months. She mentioned something I had not realized – that there was a difference in my demeanor. At the beginning of the year, there had been a hardness in my face, the outward demonstration of my inward rebellion. I hadn’t realized it was there, and I didn’t realize it had disappeared, but this lady had. As she acknowledged the change in me over the year, she revealed that she and other leadership in the dorm referred to me as the “dorm miracle” for that year.

I share this not to bring any honor to myself, but to illustrate what a difference God can make in a life. I did two very important things that allowed God to do the work He wanted to do. I yielded myself to Him on the day-to-day level and I began to faithfully read His Word. When anyone does those two things, he can expect God to do a great work. Both are important. Reading the Bible without yielding to God will have some impact, because God’s Word is powerful, but the impact is limited due to the resistant heart. A yielded heart without input from the Bible also limits growth, as there is nothing to fuel spiritual growth. Until these two steps are taken, it is awfully difficult to make much upward progress. With the two decisions made, on the other hand, the journey has great potential to prosper.

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,

And I shall observe it to the end.” Psalm 119:33 (NASB)