Picture this, you're a lone mountain climber. Looking up at the greatest summit known to man you take a deep breath in you know that you’ve spent years preparing for this, you feel a sense of power and accomplishment because you know that it's time to elevate yourself. This is your moment of glory.
But something feels wrong, you realise that in all your preparations and excitement you are indeed still alone. Why have you decided to elevate this way, isolated from people? How much more could you succeed should you choose to elevate someone with you?
It sounds like a simple matter of planning - if you're climbing a mountain then naturally you would need a team so that removes the isolation. Elevation is more than a matter of physical escalation, but about empowerment and community, imparting knowledge for those who go after to run a race further than we can simply because they have a better starting line.
We find more meaning in life, more purpose when we choose to take someone on the journey with us. This doesn't mean their purpose solely becomes aiding us on our journey or providing friendly counsel, but we are offered a chance to increase someone else. Have we not been called to build each other up?
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual up-building. (Romans, chapter 14, verse 19)
New year, new me?
When we enter a new year, we spend most of the first few months focused on self-improvement. We set goals and resolutions for ourselves, marking out the things that we would want to accomplish in our own lives as a milestone event to look back on and relish in. I'd like to propose that something to actively endeavor to do during the course of the year is to choose to elevate someone whilst you elevate and up-skill yourself.
There are times when our beliefs or our past actions and reputations precede us, generating an undeserved bad impression of who we are. Let us choose to value others, lift them up, uphold them and provide strength and counsel when needed, rather than choosing to act solely out of consideration for ourselves. Tough one, I know. It's something that comes instinctively to us, to settle an idea within ourselves and determine to run our race single-mindedly. We are told very clearly in Philippians, chapter 2, verse 3; "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
The year of intentionality
Intentionality becomes critical, to see ourselves opt to voluntarily raise another above ourselves. To be humble in our attempts as we chase the dreams that have been placed on our hearts, What we can accomplish together far outweighs that which can be done solitary.
When we welcome each other openly, as Christ has welcomed us (refer Romans, chapter 15, verse 7), we are far greater, stronger and our reach extends farther than if we were to strive on our own. In everything, we were created to operate not as individuals, but parts adding up to a whole. Each with our respective duties and gifts within the greater community that extends across the Earth. We each have our own portion, our own abilities and unique life experiences and perspectives that we can share and use to empower and equip others.
"so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another." (Romans, chapter 12, verse 5)
The best example to use would be to use myself. I have an ability to play the piano, sing and I'd like to think I string together a half-decent sentence. These are gifts to be used. I could use them for personal gain, or I could in turn use them to edify, share my life experiences or try to teach another, for the purpose of this example let's reason it is a youth, the skill - driving them to be better than I am. Which of these leaves a longer lasting impact? In this respect, I'm particularly drawn to 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 17, "…there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf."
Our portion, the source of our determination, strength and passion has been woven into us in our very creation, we are all partakers of Christ who has elevated us to a level far higher than we could reach naturally. In this also, we are presented with the opportunity to elevate others, whether by taking them on our journey or travelling alongside them for a while, we can elevate them by showing a love and truth that surpasses human understanding. We can elevate, we can lift up to a higher position of strength and knowledge of identity and purpose.
Crystelda Naidoo hails from South Africa. She is an avid nerd and an unapologetic dreamer. She has completed a BSc. Biological Sciences and BCom Hons. having majored in marketing, and has since launched the lifestyle blog - Selah Blogger - targeted at empowering women in their daily lives. The blog can be found at