For Every Mountain…

(Step 2)

 

“Spiritual Mountain Climbing Training”—that’s what we discussed last time.  “Spiritual Mountains” can be anything from death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, etc.  In our first post we found out what our mountains may be and what the first step of mountain climbing was:  Do Your Research:  Study the Word of God.

 

Step 2 to Spiritual Mountain Climbing:

 

Assess your strength.  (mental strength)  Mountain climbing is all about your mental attitude.  You will need to make sound, fast judgments about such things as conditions, directions, and safety. This is part of the attraction for many mountain climbers:  to be taken out of their comfortable easy lifestyles, to be thoroughly tested and to be placed into a world where the choices they make can have major consequences.  Some things you need to ask yourself before you climb those physical mountains are:

·         Are you prone to panicking or resorting to making rash decisions?  If the answer is yes, then this kind of behavior can be very dangerous when climbing a mountain.  You must maintain a steady head, calm demeanor and clear thinking to have the ability to work out the best solution quickly.

·         Are you able to push through pain or are you apt to give up and throw in the towel?

·         Are you positive by nature but also realistic and honest with yourself and your abilities? Over self-confidence will not work.  It will only lead to dire consequences when climbing.

Now, let’s apply this to our “Spiritual Mountain” climbing.  We must be able to assess our mental strength.  How can we do this?  Well, as always, let’s go to the Word of God.  Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”  To be able to accomplish climbing our “spiritual mountains”, we must have our minds focused on Jesus and not on the mountain itself.  When you are so focused on your “spiritual mountains”, you cannot see Jesus and what He is doing to help you. 

 

In 1 Kings chapter 19, there is the story about how Elijah, a prophet of God, handled a “spiritual mountain.”  God had sent Elijah to rescue Israel from its sinful ways.  God had shown up in a powerful way by using Elijah to defeat the prophets of Baal.  But when the evil Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him, he panicked, ran and hid.  His focus was on the things of this earth instead of on his Heavenly Father above.

 

Now, there are times when we feel the pain is too much to bear and we want to throw in the towel.  You may ask yourself, “Where is God?  I can’t take it!  I hurt all over.”  Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by your circumstances?  Constantly, worrying about this or fretting about that.  You feel like you’re in an avalanche.  Well, God promises in His Word that “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”  (Isaiah 26:3) 

 

God may be preparing you for the challenges that are to come by allowing you to stay in the valley awhile before you can go up to the top of the mountain.  You’re probably asking yourself, “Why in the world would God let me go through this pain?”  There could be several reasons why you’re going through and several reasons why you should stick it out.

·        God may be trying to get your attention.

·        God may want you to do a self-examination.

·        God may want you to change.

·        God may want you to see that you need Him.

 

“Spiritual Mountain” climbing is all about being dependent on the One who is able to get you over, through or around your mountain.  He is the Problem-Solver.  We cannot grow weary and throw in the towel when things get a little tough.  “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:13)  We must be able to “…press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:14)

 

We cannot be overconfident in our own abilities.  “For  I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3).  We must learn contentment and rely on the strength of God to accomplish the impossible.  “…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:;  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:11,13) 

 

Assessing one’s strength can be a daunting task.  We may not like what we find out, but it can be one of the best things you can do personally for yourself on this Christian journey.  “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”  (James 1:22-24)  Don’t be that person…ASSESS YOUR STRENGTH!

 

Step 3:  Get Fit…until next time.