I’m pressing on the upward way
New heights I’m gaining every day
Still praying as I’m onward bound
Lord plant my feet on higher ground

Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith on heaven’s tableland
A higher plain than I have found
Lord plant my feet on higher ground

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay
Though some may dwell where these abound
My prayer, my aim is higher ground

I want to live above the world
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled
For faith has caught the joyful sound
The song of saints on higher ground

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright
But still I’ll pray ‘til heaven I’ve found
Lord lead me on to higher ground

=======================================

This hymn has been an old favorite of mine since I was a small child. The words tell of a faith that is pointed heavenward, of a heart that is passionately set on “things above.” But really, what does all of that mean?

I’ve recently been struggling to understand what my faith means to me. Christianity, as a subculture, has many catchphrases and clever cliches that tend to blind us from the truth that was once encapsulated in those words. Whether we’re Christians or not, we can all fall captive to creative lines of prose – it’s why people are paid handsome amounts of money to come up with catchy slogans that people will remember. It’s why I try to find simple mnemonics to remember random information I’m learning in medical school. Remembering stuff is important – repetition is one of the best ways to file information away. But I’ve found that my ability to recall information is disconnected to my ability to understand what I regurgitate.

So the internal conflict I see within me seems to be connected to truly understanding my faith. The reason for dismissal of any sort of “faith” as an irrational belief lies in this blind acceptance of abstract concepts without understanding. However, the faith that Jesus tells us to have in Him is completely devoid of mindless drivel. In fact, it’s a faith that affects us to the core of our being. It’s a call to action, a vibrant life that doesn’t settle for mediocrity.

But this faith comes at a price, which is both simple and costly. It comes down to a daily surrendering of our will to God – who has proven Himself to be unconditionally loving, just, caring, merciful, and faithful. It means that I must trust that God works things out for my best interests. It means that my lifestyle is dramatically different from what it would be if my faith was placed in myself or someone else. It means that I should have hope in the most hopeless of situations.

I definitely haven’t “arrived.” In fact, I see this whole situation as part of the journey that God and I are taking together as He leads me to heaven – the “higher ground” alluded to in the song above. The ongoing discovery and rediscovery of the intricacies in this relationship I have with Him are a part of the faith process.

I don’t know what I’m saying. In fact, I don’t even understand most of what I just wrote. But I hope that as I continue to probe these issues, God will gradually reveal more to me.

Higher Ground
Charles Hutchison Gabriel and Rev. Johnson, Jr. Oatman
© Public Domain