The Rope and the Pit

Okay, I’ve had an epiphany that I think might be blog-worthy…

You know how you can really admire someone because they fit an ideal in your head, and then suddenly you find out they have this problem they are struggling with, and instead of trying to help them you are all like, “What?? You can’t have that problem! Don’t be silly.” Well, I know why this happens now: we have been badly conditioned by individualism. We have been taught to admire people who seem to have it all together through their own talents and efforts.

C.S. Lewis was a major Christian writer who helped millions in their walk with Christ through his brilliant apologetics. But, could he help himself with these same apologetics when faced with his wife’s death? As evidenced in his book, A Grief Observed, the answer is no. And, he was not meant to. God intends for all of His children to minister to each other’s hurts and fears. It is only an autonomous, individualistic (and non-Christian) outlook on life that promotes “self-help”. The truth is that all of our success, whether physical, mental, or spiritual, comes through the help and hard work of many people in the life of any given individual. Thanks to the lie of autonomy we all too often remain unaware of and ungrateful towards the efforts that others are pouring into our success. We are like the proverbial pigs under an acorn tree.  

God gives us ropes of inspiration through the Spirit. We think these ropes are for us to use as lifelines for ourselves; we wrap them around ourselves in an attempt to shore up our insecurities. However, in doing so, we neglect their true purpose, which is to be used by us to help others. We are meant to live in communion, with God and with our fellow Christians. To help us do that, God has given us blessings of wisdom and talent which are dead ends if used for ourselves but very fruitful when given freely for others.

As we walk with Christ in scripture and prayer we are given this spiritual rope, but it is only so long. When we fall into a pit (it happens to all of us, no matter how mature), we cannot use our own rope to get out of it. We need someone else to lower their rope down to help us climb out. And when we see others wallowing in their own dark pits of fear and doubt, we are called to lower the ropes we have been given down to them. This is how God designed us; we do not live unto ourselves. We live for others. One man’s weakness is another man’s opportunity to bless and become who God has called them to be.

So when you see someone who you thought was mature (or who ought to be more mature) having a momentary lapse of faith, do not berate them. It is not the time for them to be helping anyone, including themselves. It is a moment for you to bear fruit with a gift God has given you… lower your rope. Do so with love and understanding, because someday soon it will be you again in that pit!