Three Points of Contact: Staying Steady in Your Walk with Christ
Have you ever noticed how stagnant water develops a smell? Left undisturbed in a puddle or swamp, water that doesn't move begins to breed bacteria, turns murky, and eventually becomes something you definitely don't want touching your clothes. The contrast with fresh, flowing stream water is striking. Moving water stays clear, clean, and pure—sometimes even clear enough to see your reflection.
This physical reality mirrors a spiritual truth that many of us overlook: a stagnant Christian life affects not only ourselves but everyone around us.
The Danger of Spiritual Stagnation
When we allow bitterness, unforgiveness, or complacency to fester in our hearts, we become like that stagnant water. We might not notice the spiritual "smell" ourselves, but those around us certainly will. Even more concerning, when we sit next to someone in our spiritual community while harboring these issues, our stagnancy can influence them too.
The alternative is to be like living water—constantly moving, growing, and reflecting the image of Christ. Just as flowing water in a stream becomes clear enough to show reflections, when we're actively living for Jesus and moving forward in our faith, we reflect His image to the world around us.
The Church at Colossae: A Model of Movement
The early church at Colossae provides us with a powerful example. The Apostle Paul commended them because the good news that had come to them was "going out all over the world, bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace."
This wasn't a church content to simply receive the gospel and sit still. They heard the truth, it transformed them, and then they became agents of transformation in their world. The same good news that changed them was now changing others through them.
The question we must ask ourselves is this: Are people seeing a changed life in us? When others observe our daily walk, do they witness the transformative power of Christ, or do they see something else entirely?
Three Points of Contact
Anyone who has received basic ladder safety training knows the fundamental rule: maintain three points of contact. Whether it's two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand, keeping three points of contact with the ladder keeps you stable and safe as you climb.
But here's what happens in real life: we get comfortable. We've climbed ladders before. We think we can balance on two points, then maybe even one. We become confident in our instability. And that's when accidents happen—not usually during the fall itself, but when we hit the ground.
The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. We need three essential points of contact to maintain stability in our walk with Christ:
1. Spending time in God's Word 2. Maintaining a consistent prayer life 3. Gathering together with other believers
When we remove one of these points, we become spiritually unsteady. We might convince ourselves we're managing fine—we've gotten used to not reading Scripture daily, or we've let our prayer life slip, or we've stopped attending church regularly. We balance on fewer points and think we're doing okay.
But then something unexpected comes along—a crisis, a temptation, a challenge—and suddenly we're falling. We weren't prepared because we weren't maintaining proper spiritual stability.
The Command to Keep Moving
Scripture is clear about the need for continuous spiritual growth. Colossians 2:6-7 instructs believers: "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness."
Notice the active verbs: continue, follow, grow, build. The Christian life isn't static. Accepting Christ is just the beginning. We're called to keep moving, keep growing, keep building our lives on Him.
Philippians 2:14-16 adds another dimension: "Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life."
The instruction here is to work out what God is doing in our lives without getting hung up on arguing and complaining. How often do we stall our spiritual progress because we're too busy grumbling about our circumstances or arguing about secondary issues?
Overcoming Fear and Doubt
Sometimes we lock up on our spiritual ladder not because of complacency, but because of fear. Like someone afraid of heights who freezes halfway up, we can become paralyzed by doubt, anxiety, or overwhelming circumstances.
This is where the voices around us matter. When we're part of a genuine Christian community, we have people who can encourage us: "You're okay. Keep going. Don't stop now." These voices of encouragement can be the difference between staying frozen and continuing our climb.
But there's an even more important voice to listen to—the voice of truth found in Scripture.
Your Immeasurable Value
Romans 8:31-39 contains one of the most powerful declarations of God's love and commitment to His children. It asks the rhetorical question: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" and then systematically dismantles every possible threat to our security in Christ.
Can trouble separate us from God's love? No. Can calamity? No. Can persecution, hunger, danger, or even death itself? Absolutely not.
The passage concludes with this magnificent promise: "I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love."
This isn't empty encouragement. This is the bedrock truth of our identity in Christ. When the world minimizes your value, when circumstances make you feel worthless, when you're struggling with fear or doubt—return to this truth. God created you in His image, He knit you together in your mother's womb, and He sent His Son to die for you. That's how much He values you.
The Mission Ahead
If you know Christ as your personal Savior, you have a mission. Ephesians 2:10 tells us we are God's masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus to do the good things He planned for us long ago. First Peter 2:9 declares that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, called to show others the goodness of God.
This means having contact with people—being present in their lives, sharing your story, and pointing them to Jesus. Sometimes it's as simple as the testimony of the blind man who said, "All I know is I was blind, but now I see."
The gospel message is straightforward: God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. We were sinners, separated from God, but Christ died for us while we were still in that condition. There is salvation in no other name. If we declare that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.
Keep Climbing
Whether you're just beginning your journey with Christ or you've been walking with Him for years, the call is the same: keep moving. Maintain your three points of contact. Don't become stagnant water. Be living water that reflects the image of Christ.
When you feel the wind blowing and the ladder swaying, remember that God is for you. When you're tempted to remove a point of contact because you're too busy or too comfortable, remember that stability comes from maintaining all three. When you hear voices of doubt or discouragement, return to the truth of God's Word.
And as you climb, remember you're not alone. You're surrounded by a community of believers who are climbing too, and together, you're reflecting the light of Christ to a world that desperately needs to see it.
The tide of battle turns when we call on God for help. With Him on our side, we need not fear what comes. Keep your three points of contact, keep moving forward, and watch as God works through your steady, faithful climb to change lives—starting with your own.
