How many times has someone ever climbed a mountain, reached the top, but never began at the bottom? Never, I'm quite sure. Or how many climbs has someone ever made up a mountain and never had to struggle with the climb over rough terrain, or without any equipment consisting of tools, ropes, anchors hooks or claw boots? Again, never.
But just as it is a struggle, an effort, an exertion of energy, and sometimes appearing to be a task too big to handle; at the moment a climber reaches the summit of the mountain in question, an overwhelming sense of achievement and relief floods him. An uplifting feeling of accomplishment pounds his heart nearly out of his chest. His thoughts become focused on the end result of his long, hard struggle to climb the mountain.
As the climber views the scenery all around him, he realizes that the long, exhausting climb was worth it. To see a view, in which only a few handful of others will ever see, in itself is victory. But just as the victory of accomplishment is ever so sweet, the descension down the mountain inevitably comes to fruition, in which the long climb down must take so, a to lead to another mountain at another time, another climb, another struggle, another victory.
Are you climbing up a spiritual mountain, to result in an awesome experience with God on that mountain? For a person to have an experience with God on a mountaintop spiritually, there will be struggles, set backs, rough and rocky terrain, as well as deep crevasses to avoid. But in order to reach the summit of that mountain with God, these things will most certainly play a part in a person's quest towards the top.
A well experienced climber will always be properly prepared to attempt a climb up a mountain. He knows what is necessary to have as he pursues the challenge. His first goal will be to set up a base camp, in which he can begin his numerous pursuits towards the summit. He may make several attempts towards the summit by climbing to certain points and establishing secondary camps ,then descending back down to base camp, in order to regroup, become increasingly more focused, achieve rest and strength to ascend to the summit. Then, after all precautions have been taken to ensure a safe ascension, he shall then begin his final attempt for the top.
So many times a Christian will attempt to climb to the top of many mountains with God, but will fail to prepare properly. Due to improper preparation, a Christian in attempting a climb, will slip and fall into the deep crevasses along the way, thus making it extremely difficult for themselves or someone else to help them out of those crevasses.
The first thing that a Christian should do in order to ensure a strong, safe climb to the top of a mountain with God, is to acquire all of the tools necessary for the climb. These tools are: faith in God, commitment, trust in God, dedication, belief in God's Word, sincerity, humility, compassion towards others, a willingness unto God, and love for God as well as others. Without these necessary tools, a climb up a mountain with God will always leave a Christian staggering at the bottom.
Along with these tools, a Christian must establish a base camp. A Christians’ base camp is prayer. At the base camp of prayer is where a Christian can regroup himself with God after struggling on the rough terrain of his climb. There, he can become more focused on following God's pathway up the mountain(which will always be the best pathway). He can rest in the camp of God's presence in prayer and receive spiritual strength, to begin yet another attempt at a long climb up the mountain.
With each attempt up the mountain, there should always be a retreat back to the base camp of prayer. In doing so, a Christian climber will always go a little farther on the next attempt.
Finally, with the struggles, crevasses, and the rough terrain behind him, the Christian climber will reach the summit of the mountain with God. At the summit of his mountain, he will find many completions of God's plan for his life have been achieved. Quite possibly a struggling ministry will come into fruition, in which many souls will be won to the Lord as a result of it. Deliverance from many strongholds will be had relationships with others will be mended. Weaknesses in certain areas of the climber's life will be overcome in order to finally see a victory over them.
But most importantly, at the summit of the mountain, the Christian climber will find himself in a deeper relationship with God. In doing so, he crosses over new thresholds into a deeper spiritual walk with God.
But just as it is with mountain climbers, a Christian climber will begin his descent down the mountain. This is not to say that the mountaintop experiences with God are over, but that it is a time for the Christian climber to descend back down to base camp-prayer. There he will become prepared to climb again as God will bring him to another mountain to climb, in order to have another mountaintop experience with God.
Do you struggle in your mountain climbing? Are you falling into mountain crevasses too deep to get out of? Did you forget your climbing tools? Where is your base camp? Is it in prayer? If it's not, then it should be.
Aug 25,1998
No comments:
Post a Comment