As the news unfolds the staggering blows that are hitting America through the current administration many of us are taken aback at the complete turnaround that we will be facing. Mountains of treacherous terrain lie before us. It is a problem too big for us to overcome without our miracle working God.
In fact, I would venture to say it is a Mt. Everest sized problem. A mountain that seems impossible to scale. Mountain climbing in and of itself is a difficult task, but when you are faced with winter, snow and ice throughout the climb it makes it even more dangerous and challenging.
Mountains to Scale
Mountain climbers have scaled Mt. Everest, but it is not your everyday “joe” that makes it happen. Scaling Mt. Everest takes intentional planning, preparation as well as a knowledgeable guide, equipment and perseverance. It is even so in the Christian life. There must be an intentional choice, a knowledgeable Guide, the proper equipment and a determined perseverance.
This life is filled with mountains that we will face. There will be hidden crevasses and fierce winds that contain the feel of dangerous frostbite to the soul. As we face the challenge of living a faithful Christian life there will be every opportunity to turn back. Yet we must not. We must make an intentional commitment to reach the summit of God’s eternal Heaven.
A Call to Climb Mountains
God calls each of us to climb. He calls us to choose His way of living forgiven. As well as faithfully obeying the principles written in His Word. When we choose Jesus as our guide we can trust our path to him. Just as if we were to determined to climb Mt. Everest we would need to follow a guide and trust that he had been that way before. There would be much to learn and disciplined training to be carried out.
A few years ago as I researched a theme for children’s ministry I came across many similarities that could be applied to life’s climb to heaven. If you enjoy reading about the challenges faced by climbers of Mt. Everest, read The Summit: Faith Beyond Everest’s Death Zone by Eric Alexander. It is an inspiring read. A few facts that I gleaned that you might find of interest are as follows.
- Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
- 29,035 feet is its recorded height.
- Over 290 people have died trying to reach the summit.
- The summit’s highest recorded temperature is 3 degrees.
- Only 33% of oxygen needed to breathe is available above 26,000 feet.
- It takes 12 – 20 days to hike to Mt. Everest Base Camp which is 17,500 ft.
- It costs $35,000.00 – $100,000 to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest
- There are many hazards to climbing Mt. Everest.
- A paramount rule in the scaling of Mt. Everest is to never climb alone. A partner could save your life.
Dangers Faced
Similarly, we will be faced with untold dangers as we scale this life’s experiences. There will be times when life knocks the breath out of us, and we are in danger of slipping downward. Yet when we have roped ourselves to the One who is our Solid Rock we gain the confidence we need to face the steep trenches, dangerous squalls and treacherous glaciers of the mountains before us.
Jesus has been this way before. He knows the mountain and will guide us in the right way. We must listen to our Guide, when the way is obscured. Our trust must be anchored in the Almighty God.
Equipment for the Climb
Proper equipment is of vital importance in climbing Mt. Everest. In fact, an important element when climbing this frozen region is keeping every part of your body covered. The layers of covering is to protect from the dangers of frostbite. Furthermore, other essentials needed for such a climb seem endless to the novice. Things such as an ice axe, climbing harness, carabiners, rappel/belay device, crampons and the list goes on. Proper equipment is necessary for a successful climb.
Similarly, we must don the equipment God provides for us as we climb the mountains in this life. God has a covering for each part of us that will enable us to fend off the fiery darts of the enemy.
Ephesians 6:10 – 18 gives us the admonition, yea even a command of what we are to wear as a Christian. This action will enable us to stand against the darkness of this world and the spiritual wickedness of our day. Take the time to read the above verses and seek to have the armor of God become a reality in your life so that you may stand and withstand the evil in our day.
As we face a world that purports good as evil and evil as good, be reminded of God’s promise to provide all that we need to live a life of godliness.
“According as his divine power hath given all things that pertain unto life and godliness”
2 Peter 1:3
God had promised to be with us. To be all that we need. We can place our trust and faith in the God who enables us to face and reach the summit of mountain-sized problems. All that pertains to living a life for God, He has promised to provide.
Beware of the Frayed Ends
As a climber one of the items that needs to be kept in pristine order is our rope. In fact, after each day a climber must check his ropes and knots, for his very life is dependent upon them. Just as a climber checks for frayed ends or worn parts, we too must check our hearts for frayed ends or bitterness. Hebrews 12:15 speaks to this.
“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”
Hebrews 12:15
When one is unwilling to forgive a hurt that another has inflicted upon them, anger will grow into a continual hatred and bitterness. We must carefully check our hearts for any frayed attitudes or bitter parts that may have been allowed to develop. Moreover, we must remove any attitude that is not Christlike. These will cause trouble and in the end will cost us our very soul.
Facing the Death Zone
There is a Death Zone on the trek up Mt. Everest. This zone is located above 26,000 feet. The reason for this morbid tag is that there is only 33% of oxygen available that one needs to breathe.
In our spiritual life we cannot live without the oxygen of the Holy Spirit. When we try to live our lives in our own strength, life leaves us gasping. Jesus knew this and promised the Holy Spirit’s help in our lives. Gain His strength and keep climbing upward.
United We Stand
In the church, God calls for teamwork and unity. This facet of living is of utmost importance when climbing Mt. Everest, as well. You must work together to overcome obstacles as you are faced with hurricane force winds, ice avalanches or shifting glaciers. When you become a true team in your climb to the summit there is trust, dedication and confidence. Shared goals help each individual to contribute with purpose to the team’s success.
We, as a body of believers must unite behind the cause of Jesus Christ. Keep the goal of outreach in the forefront and move forward with purpose. What are we doing to build the Kingdom? Are we living for the eternal? Are our words and actions pointing others to the Savior? Let us work as a team toward spreading the gospel. With teamwork in place obstacles can be overcome and God’s Kingdom advanced.
Facing the Mountains of Life
As the winds of change blow fiercely in this world, we must stand courageously. We must be strong. As we trek the mountains before us, we will face deep crevasses that seem impassable, there will be shifts in our freedoms that we have taken for granted and policies that will affect our lives. In spite of these dangers that we face God can grant us the courage to live faithfully and face opposition courageously.
Stay Strong. Take Courage. For God is with you. Trust his guiding hand. Yes, there will be adversities and every opportunity to turn back. Doubts, discouraging news and dangers will come our way. Yet we must choose to take the challenge and climb onward and upward. Will you be one of those that God finds faithful?
Keep on. Be faithful. Place your trust in the Almighty God. He goes with you. When the mountains of life have been scaled and we hear God’s voice say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, ” It will be worth it all.
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