Ladders & Trees
Zacchaeus, a shrewd businessman, knew how to climb the corporate ladder of his day. He gained influence, worked connections, and made a fortune (Luke 19:1, 2). Money however cannot fill a lonely heart, ease the conscience, or bring true connection. Sure, money can buy friends. People will eat at your table and enjoy the connections and lifestyle you lavishly provide. Sadly, some come for what they can gain. They too are climbing ladders and longing for success.
Wealth and success are a shallow substitute for those with empty hearts. Acceptance and true worth do not come from climbing ladders. Ladders lean on walls – cold hard walls. Rung after rung they demand the work, require the focus, and exclude the comfort of others. Climbing ladders produces lonely, desperate souls who fear their own demise.
If you’ve been climbing ladders, then like Zacchaeus of old, it is time to find a tree. Leaving his ladder behind, Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree (Luke 19:3). For him it was simply a place to sit and wait. It was a vantage point from which to see the One he was waiting for. Nestled within its branches Zacchaeus gained more than he anticipated. When Jesus came He saw a man, not an occupation. He looked at his heart, not his past. He offered him relationship, not memos or manuals.
Maybe it’s time to trade the ladder for a tree. Maybe it’s time to look past what you have gained to see who you have become. Has the ladder taken you to where you want to go? Regardless of what you have done or achieved, position yourself to see and hear from the One who cares for your heart and not just your assets. Your change of focus may draw the attention of onlookers, or the criticism of the crowd. Care not for the fleeting opinions of man. Know that there is One who looks for the climbers of trees.
Leave the ladder and find a tree - a simple place to look and wait. An armchair will do, a quiet garden, or a lonely beach. Wherever you choose, He will come. He longs to build connection with you and invite Himself to your house.
