Peaks & Valleys – Laboring Toward Heaven

The Unpolished Conference in Cincinnati last week was a great reminder of how God is leading us all on a journey of dependence on Him. The room was filled with leaders who were in one of three places:

1. The peak
2. The valley
3. Somewhere in between

No matter where you were three years ago, where you are today, or where you’ll be in a decade, God is going to take you on a path that requires complete faith and trust. Speaker Mark Whitacre (who was convicted for fraud after being involved in one of the largest corporate whistleblower investigations in US history) observed that he never learned anything from being on top of the mountain. It was in the valleys where God taught him the most.

In Tim Keller’s Every Good Endeavor, a book about how God invites us to approach work, we are reminded that we will experience thorns in whatever we put our hands to in this broken world, and that our response is critical (page 246):

‘We try to help people identify the idols of their profession and the idols they use to cope with the thorns and thistles of life… each time we strip away an idol we can turn to God and our trust in him grows.’ 

This should not discourage us, but be a signpost that points us to the fact that we are still laboring toward heaven. Each thorn and thistle is an opportunity to turn away from our own strength and rely on His.

Take heart in knowing that you are not alone on the journey. You have God and His people with you every step of the way.