Where is your Ladder Leaning?

If life is like a ladder, you have to be careful what wall you lean it against. This simile comes from a Stephen Covey quote: "If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just get us to the wrong place faster." Imagine getting to the top of the ladder of life only to realize that it was leaning against the wrong wall.

This is an interesting analogy used to emphasize a teleological perspective on life and to even consider with parenting. While not a perfect analogy for parenting, we often set our children on the first few rungs of a ladder without considering where that ultimately leads them. Unfortunately, many ladders are leaning against a wall that leads to a rooftop idol.

What wall is your ladder leaning against?

The Westminster Catechism begins with a "ladder" question ... "What is the chief end of man?" or to fit this analogy, what is the wall that our ladder should be leaning against? The Westminster divines answered this with ... "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." What a blessing to know that your ladder is against a wall leading to that roof ... soli deo gloria. 

Our culture has many well-trafficked ladders with people scrambling over each other to get to the rooftop idol. The rungs of those ladders can be identified by the amount of time, energy, and resources spent on things.

Affluence

Of all the idols of our time, affluence is at the highest rooftop. We have a ton of different ladders leading to the idols of financial success and comfort in life; and many people will do anything on this ladder to get to the top. In fact, if we are honest, parents want their children to attend a "good" K-12 school, so that they can get into a "good" college, so that they can get a "good" job, so that they can earn enough money to live a comfortable life (and send their own kids to a "good" school) ... and parents spend a lot of time, energy, and resources to ensure that this happens. However, is affluence and a comfortable life a proper rooftop goal ... or is it an idol of our time?

Athletics

As a parent, we want our children to develop their athletic talents, so time, energy, and resources are spent on youth sports. In fact, youth sports is a $40 billion industry in America (with parents paying more than $1,000 per sport), with an ever-increasing demand on time.  Interestingly, most sports are described as "terminal," meaning there will be an end to playing a sport, with only .023% playing professionally ... and most of those athletes retire before the age of 40. I know there is always pickleball 😊, but is athletics a ladder that leads to a rooftop idol or to a chief end?

Health, Fitness, Beauty

Surely, this is an honorable ladder to climb; looking at economics, Americans sure think so. The health and fitness industry is a huge economic force, valued at $22 billion annually with over 72 million Americans holding gym/fitness club membership. Additionally, the vitamin and supplement industry is valued at close to $60 billion, and the beauty market topping $100 billion. This ladder is fueled by social media's negative impact on self-esteem, mental health, and body image. While it may be a good thing to stay healthy and look beautiful, is it a chief end?

Of course, each "idol of our time" has multiple ladders leading to it.

Where is the ladder leaning for your children?

 

As a parent of five adult children, it has been convicting considering this question. I've definitely helped my kids take the first few steps on ladders that lead away from the rooftop that glorifies God, and I've even climbed some of those ladders ahead of them. 

When our covenant children get to the top of the ladder, what do we want them to find on the rooftop? Personally, I want my children to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love their neighbors as themselves. I want them to live with biblical wisdom; to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

What are the rungs on this ladder?

• Make church attendance a priority for everyone in the family. (Hebrews 10:25)
• Set aside Sunday as a day of rest and worship. (Westminster Catechism 60)
• Spend time as a family reading and delighting in God's word. (Psalm 1:1-2)
• Teach your children how to study God's word and learn about theology through hermeneutics, catechisms, and Bible study resources.
• Pray as a family in all situations, asking for wisdom. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
• Sing God's word, hymns, and spiritual songs together. (Colossians 3:16)
• Encourage working diligently as to the Lord. (Colossians 3:23)
• Serve together as a family. (I Peter 4:10)
• Consider and discuss every aspect of life from a biblical perspective, asking what does God's word say about that?

These are some of the rungs that will help place your ladder on the right wall, leading your children to a chief end.