I suffer from acrophobia — a fear of heights. Perhaps if I were a tall person, it might not be so bad. I get dizzy and unbalanced whenever I am up high. Standing on a ledge or a rooftop is very hard for me to do, although if I'm on a ladder, no matter how high it is, I'm okay. Go figure that one out, because I can't.

I can remember being with a party of children walking up Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest mountain. There is a path that reaches up to the summit. Halfway up the mountain, I happened to look down. That was a big mistake. All of a sudden, I found myself rooted to the spot, clinging to the side of the path. The kids thought that I was just joking, but the leader of the group knew differently. I was relieved when she decided to cancel the climb due to the "inclement weather". I think that she had seen how white my face had become and realized that I was never going to make it to the top.

Revelation 2:5a – Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. (NIV)

When the apostle John writes about the church at Ephesus falling from a great height, he's talking about the status that the congregation had in the Mediterranean Christian community. It had been established by Paul, so its theological pedigree was second to none. But pride had tarnished the church. The Ephesians were in love with their own achievements and had forgotten about their initial loyalty to Jesus. They admired their own successes, instead of truly glorifying Christ for the blessings that He had bestowed upon them. It must have been hard for them to accept this piece of divine criticism, but it was necessary to bring them back down to earth in order to fulfill what Jesus needed them to do.

So, what's the lesson for today? Whatever we accomplish in our lives originates in the riches of God's grace. When we are blessed, let's take time to thank Jesus and honour Him as the provider of our successes.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your life changed the history of the world in such a way that we all owe our existence to You. Anything that we accomplish with our lives is a direct consequence of Your effect on our entire planet. Remind us of Your importance to all that we are and all that we shall ever be. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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