Cross Points 1.15.21
Discipleship Afoot: Walking by the Cairns
Cairn: A mound of rough stones built as a memorial or landmark, used to help hikers by marking the trail at a turn or key spot, to acknowledge you are on the right path.
Rexanne and I have come upon these numerous times in the various hikes we’ve taken over the years. Sometimes they are merely placed as a memorial, the person building the rock pile wanting to commemorate this spot; but they become most helpful when at key places along a not-so-obvious trail, to help you know you’re still on the right path, not lost as you might suspect. I most vividly recall the time we took one of the longest and highest hikes, to a place called “the keyhole” on the top of Long’s Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. You start at the wooded area trailhead down the mountain, go up the switchback trail until above the tree line, wind across a meadow like section with high mountain lakes, and then before you reach the 14,259 foot peak you come to a place called the Boulder Field. No path, just large rocks strung out in every direction. To stay on the shortest and best route to the base of the keyhole, you watch for these cairn’s, piled up within sight of each other, to guide you along.
Living the Christian life of a disciple involves a path we travel. And we have all surely lived long enough to know that wandering off the path into areas of danger is all too common. How do we stay on the path God wants? We must be purposeful, intentional. And that involves studying the Bible and then looking for spiritual cairns along the way. Let me suggest a few.
Character Cairn. Is there evidence that you’ve made strides to improve or strengthen your character traits as a follower of Jesus? Did you let unhealthy words slip in the past, derogatory remarks about others, maybe even take the Lord’s name in vain? How has that changed? Do you check yourself and seek wholesome comments that build up and encourage others?
Worship Cairn. Maybe you didn’t attend church services at all in the past, or if so, it may have been just when you felt like it, spotty at best (Christmas/Easter). Has that improved? Do you desire to honor your Lord by giving preference to the day when the early disciples gathered to celebrate the Lord’s Supper (remembering his death, burial, and resurrection), to encourage each other, to study God’s Word together and bring offerings? True worship goes beyond this, involving our sacrificial service (see Romans 12:1), but this is still an important cairn to indicate we are staying on path.
Giving Cairn. Certainly, “staying on path” involves giving to support the local church we are part of. It’s been said that the best indicator of what we truly value lies with where our money and time is spent. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21). We show our treasure, and thus, our heart, with our money and our time. If it’s not Jesus focused, you missed this cairn.
Service Cairn. Let’s elaborate on the time factor. How do we spend our time? Attending church services regularly is important but becomes even more valuable as we truly plug in, helping where we can, and then reaching out into the community to make an impact for our Lord.
Living the Christian life of a disciple involves a path we travel. And we have all surely lived long enough to know that wandering off the path into areas of danger is all too common. How do we stay on the path God wants? We must be purposeful, intentional. And that involves studying the Bible and then looking for spiritual cairns along the way. Let me suggest a few.
Character Cairn. Is there evidence that you’ve made strides to improve or strengthen your character traits as a follower of Jesus? Did you let unhealthy words slip in the past, derogatory remarks about others, maybe even take the Lord’s name in vain? How has that changed? Do you check yourself and seek wholesome comments that build up and encourage others?
Worship Cairn. Maybe you didn’t attend church services at all in the past, or if so, it may have been just when you felt like it, spotty at best (Christmas/Easter). Has that improved? Do you desire to honor your Lord by giving preference to the day when the early disciples gathered to celebrate the Lord’s Supper (remembering his death, burial, and resurrection), to encourage each other, to study God’s Word together and bring offerings? True worship goes beyond this, involving our sacrificial service (see Romans 12:1), but this is still an important cairn to indicate we are staying on path.
Giving Cairn. Certainly, “staying on path” involves giving to support the local church we are part of. It’s been said that the best indicator of what we truly value lies with where our money and time is spent. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21). We show our treasure, and thus, our heart, with our money and our time. If it’s not Jesus focused, you missed this cairn.
Service Cairn. Let’s elaborate on the time factor. How do we spend our time? Attending church services regularly is important but becomes even more valuable as we truly plug in, helping where we can, and then reaching out into the community to make an impact for our Lord.
Cross Point: “Take twelve stones from out of the midst of the Jordan…and bring them over and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight…When your children ask: ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord…a memorial forever” (Josh. 4).