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I
read recently of the epitaph of a Swiss mountain climbing guide. All
it said was ‘died climbing’. After considering this I realised that
this is a perfect epitaph for every Christian.
The Christian life is
well described as a race, a journey or a climb. The good news is that
we have a guide and support on the climb who has descended from the
highest peak to take our hand and help and encourage us. We never climb
alone. It doesn’t matter if we are near the top or still making our
way through the foothills. The important thing is that we are still
moving upward, still climbing.
It has been said that the Christian life
is ‘three steps forward and two steps backward’ and I believe that
there is some truth in this but again it is not how fast we are
ascending but the fact that we are still climbing. We must put aside
doubts about our distance from the peak or rate of progress and ask His
continual help to climb on. It is his strength, not ours, that makes the
difference. In the worst bits he carries us.
The greatest praise we can
receive while alive is, ‘still climbing’. May our epitaphs read, ‘died
climbing’.
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