Climbing Life’s Mountains – With God

Looking for a partner with whom you can scale life’s mountains?

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see a steep mountain? For me, I always ask, how will I ever get to the top in one piece! Last week, when I shared a little about the lessons I am learning as a special needs parent, I thought about what happened when I first got the news. This mountain, autism, stood before me, and all I could think about was how I would manage to conquer it! Here I was, faced with one of life’s mountains – and the daunting task of finding my way up. I asked myself, “is it possible to climb life’s mountains with God?”

Here are a few answers to my questions that I am gradually learning to put into practice!

Focus on Him, not the mountain

Focusing on the mountain is not always a good thing. People may say that looking at it will motivate you to climb it faster, but the truth is, you may get tired and discouraged. You need to focus on something bigger and better to enable you to complete the task.

Focusing on God, however, will bring meaning to the climb. In my case, perhaps the mountain has been placed in my path to expand my heart to love differently-abled kids or to teach me patience. If I choose to focus on the difficulty of the task, chances are that I will not only hate the climbing process, but I will also miss out on the lessons that God has for me. On the contrary, if I fix my gaze squarely on God and stand firmly on his promises, I will not just have climbed a mountain – I will have increased my capacity to endure and persevere through trials.

Before you start climbing the mountain, ask the Lord to help you to be patient enough to learn the lessons that will come with every step you take. Let God be your reason for going forward and facing life’s mountains head on.

Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (NLT)

Rely on His strength

I will be honest… every time I look at a huge flight of stairs, my knees and calves go all wobbly! Now imagine how I feel every time I see a mountain!

Life’s mountains can really hit us hard, and consume every bit of strength we have. Talk to a person who has battled severe illness, or who has taken care of a sick relative – all you will hear in his or her voice is fatigue. The reality of this life, however, is that we will go through mountains of all kinds – some higher than others. Where will we get the strength to get to the top and plant a flag saying “I have conquered?” From God our Father!

Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (NIV)

Back to the story I shared last week. When we got the diagnosis, my world was shattered. I had such dreams for my little boy. I had hoped he would overcome the little hurdles that lay in his path and become a great man. I had really looked forward to getting glowing reports from his class teacher, reading with him, having conversations with him and teaching him how to ride a bike. I was crushed.

Then – the Lord reminded me that yes, a mountain lay before me, but he would give me the strength to scale it. He would hold me up when I had no more strength, and show me how to teach my son. In other words, he would carry me up the mountain, as long as I agreed to climb it.

Friends, are you feeling too weak to climb the mountain? God can, and will strengthen you. Let him increase your strength as you trust in him.

Remember that each mountain has its purpose

There is a reason why God allows life’s mountains to ‘block’ our paths. We may not understand the ‘whys’ and the ‘hows’ at the time, but after climbing the mountain and getting to its peak, we can look back and see all that God has taught us on the way.

Last year I went through a period of illness that was plagued by misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, fake drugs and an extended recovery period. This illness occurred just when I was starting my long break from work, and all the plans I had for my holiday went up in smoke. I spent three long, slow months climbing this mountain, and though the process was quite uncomfortable, I was able to look back later and see the purpose behind the whole experience.

Let me encourage you who may be halfway up the mountain – at a place where you can neither go up nor down – ask the Lord what his purpose is for all this, and what he wants you to learn. As you seek him, he will slowly begin to reveal what he is up to, and with time, you will reach a place where you can trust him to help you complete the climb.

Lastly, let me share one of my favorite verses, one that has kept me going during tough times over the years.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (NLT)

Don’t be afraid to climb the mountains that lie ahead of you. Instead, take each step with the Lord at your side!

 

 

Hi, everyone! Thanks again for stopping by and reading this week’s article! What do you think about climbing life’s mountains with the Lord beside you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Have a great week ahead and don’t forget to share this article with your friends!