I played it as a
kid. The rules were simple. Land on a chute, you go down.
Land on a ladder, you are on your way to the top. The reality is
that this game is not just played by children. The reality is that I play
this game today. I find myself in Student Ministry daily being faced
with the choice of taking a chute or a ladder.
What are ladders? Well, they are those subtle opportunities to use your calling for self-gain instead of selflessly fulfilling your ministry through serving others. Ladders are selfish, while chutes require sacrifice. Ladders are easy, while chutes are oftentimes very difficult. Ladders are about self-trust, while chutes are about trusting in God. Ladders are for self-advancement, chutes are for the advancement of the kingdom of God.
When you look at
the life of Jesus, you realize that he lived a life that rejected ladders.
Each and every time Jesus rejected the easy way choosing rather to take the
downward way of the Cross. People simply could not understand why he
chose the chutes instead of the ladders. He made statements like:
"If
any man desire to be the first, the same shall be last of all, and the servant
of all." (Mark 9:35)
"Fore whosoever
will save his life shall lose it: and whosever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it." (Matt. 16:25)
Paul wrote of
Jesus:
"But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of a men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
(Philippians 2:6-7)
There were times
in Jesus' life where he was tempted to become a ladder-climber. Satan
tempted Jesus with ladders in the wilderness; easy ways to the top. Jesus
consistently rejected the temptation to be a ladder-climber choosing to take
the chute to the cross.
In your life and
ministry you will be tempted with ladders. Satan will tempt you with easy
ways to reach the influence that you seek. He wants to turn you into a
ladder-climber.
We become
ladder-climbers when we use our position as a Student Pastor or Youth Worker as a stepping-stone
to so-called "Greater Things." We become ladder-climbers when
we accept positions based on how it will help us instead of out of a heart of servant
hood toward students. When we are more concerned with preaching a message
that impresses other preachers at an event than we are with impacting students
we are choosing to climb ladders instead of taking the chutes.
I understand this temptation. I do not claim to have it mastered. As a matter of fact, as Andy Stanley says, "It is not a problem to solve, it is a tension to manage." In ministry I constantly feel this tension between chutes and ladders. Each day I am searching my heart. Each day I examine my motives to make sure that I am not masking my ladder-climbing with pious activities and actions. I have to daily pray that God would guard my heart because it is easy to do the right thing for the wrong reason. "Do I really care about students, or do I just care about me?" "Where is my heart?" "Am I willing to suffer so that students can be blessed?"
Student Ministry
has to be more than a stepping-stone. It must be our heart or we are in
the wrong business. Our validation must come from God alone. In climbing ladders other's validate us, however, when we take the chutes, the way of the cross, God gives us validation. God has been challenging my heart about taking the
chutes instead of the ladders and trusting Him with the rest. Yes, I
believe God does bring increase, blessings, and opportunities to us. But
it will be God that makes it happen and not our attempts of climbing the
ladders of success.
God, give me a heart that has the faith to choose the way of the chute instead of the ladder.
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)
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