Content In The Climb

Entrepreneurs are a particular kind of people. They are ambitious, problem-solving, risk-taking, big-thinking, dreamers. They see an opportunity and raw material laying around for them to rearrange and assemble to take hold of the opportunity. Driven by the desire to act, they do so, for in their heart there is no other option. The need to problem-solve and the need to solve greater and greater problems is a good desire. Climbing the ladder of success is a good thing.

The difficulty is when the ladder climb is seemingly slow and steady. That is a lesson learned when a business is started. You labor early mornings and late nights, putting in well over the 40-hour work week and wonder when the big break is going to come or when you will look up and find yourself at the top of the mountain.

When starting a business, you are very likely going to be starting from 0. From there, you will likely have small, incremental gains and wins at irregular intervals. In the beginning stages, you will face the temptation to be unhappy with your current status. You are looking up at the stars and are craving the time for when you will be reigning among them. Again, it is not a bad desire to claim dominion over that which has been given for you to exercise your right to do so. As man, that is our God-given claim: to take dominion. Dominion we must recognize, though, is a process.

In climbing the ladder, we labor to reach the next rung and to sustain ourselves on the current rung. It makes us stronger, builds greater endurance. It is our proving ground where you get to answer the question the world around you asks. "What are you made of?"

We must learn to be content in the climb. Not content with where we are, but content with the fact that we are climbing the ladder in the first place. All of our progress is a grace from the hand of God. We should be honored that we have been minded enough to have even been granted opportunity to climb. The weight of responsibility on our shoulders is a blessing and the climb is to strengthen us as we go higher and higher.

God knows our frame better than we know our frame. He knows what speed we can climb and what weight we can truly carry and are capable of ever carrying. Not everyone is going to carry the same weight of responsibility, therefore not everyone is going to reach the same heights on the ladder of success. Not everyone is going to be given the grace to be the President of the United States of America and lead the greatest empire in the history of the world. That is a position with incredible amount of weight of responsibility. I mention this, because often our desire to climb higher can be out of envy of those we see also climbing. As King Solomon said, this is vanity and a striving after wind. You will never be content if your desire to grow is rooted in the wretchedness of envy.

The only way you will be content in the climb is if you remember that it is all grace. It is only by God's grace you get to take a breath. It is only by His grace you sleep. It is only by His grace that you enjoy any of the fruits of your labor.

If you take this message to heart, you will be able to smile as you climb the ladder step-by-step in the timing God has allowed you to the heights God has ordained for you.