Landmark Baptist

I thought maybe some could benefit from this illustration. Recently, a man that I pastor used something from work he used to do to illustrate a Bible truth.

He used to do Search and Rescue work here in the mountains. He described pulling a person off of the side of a mountain. He said that depending on the circumstances, often they would repel down the mountain with a rescue basket to the point where the victim was. Then, after getting the victim into the basket, they would begin the ascent. He said that most often, there would be a wench at the top pulling all the ropes slowly. He said that the natural tendency is to lean forward into the hill, push hard with you feet, pull up hard on the basket with one hand, and pull hard on the rope with the other hand. However, he said that when you do that, you work against the wench. You strain yourself more than is needed, you increase the likelihood of getting off balance, and you cause more motion to the basket. He said the proper way, and what rookies had to learn was to lean back away from the hill and let the wench do the work. He said that the rope will move you forward and it requires you to put one foot in front of the other, so you are doing work, but it is in response to the movement of the rope, not working against it. He said you just trust your ropes, step when needed, using your hands on the basket only for minor adjustments to avoid rocks etc.

He applied that to Galatians 2:20:

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

as well as the following:

Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I thought it a very good way to describe it. When we serve God with our own strength, it never works nearly so well as trusting Him and His timing and doing it in the strength of Christ.