Mountains and Madness

I just finished reading "Into Thin Air," earlier this week.  That is an intense story.  It's a first person perspective (of author Jon Krakauer) of the ascent and descent of Mt. Everest in the Spring of 1996, when one of the worst "disasters," ever happened to a team.

I believe it takes a certain type of person to want to climb mountains.  To know that one wrong hand hold, one wrong placement of your foot could lead to your imminent demise...that takes incredible bravery, ludicrous stupidity, or some form of mental deformity.  But that's just my opinion.  And yet those who want to climb Everest? 

Completely bonkers.

Now before you go off thinking I'm ridiculing people who do this I'm really not.  I'm not of the mindset, "Well, you wouldn't have died if you didn't climb that mountain," or "You'd still have your hands and feet..."  No.  I admire the people who can do it.  Do I think it's necessary, absolutely not.  Neither are movies, TV shows, or books.  But I love them.

Reading the pages of that book, I felt like I was there on the mountain with them.  The panic, the confusion, the dizzying sense of lack of oxygen and how it slows down your brain.  So much that the author confused one of the people he was closest to on the climb with someone else.  Which may have resulted in the others death.  Which the author (at least at the time of the writing of the book) seems to be plagued with "survivors guilt," over.

It was a traumatizing and life altering experience for all who started up the slopes.

This climbing of mountains reminds me of living a life following Christ.  Sometimes we encounter mountains on that journey.  Things such as debt, temptation, pride, death in a family etc.  Those are mountains that we have to overcome.  That we have to climb.  We don't need to be trained.  We don't need expensive gear and permits.  (It costs up to $25,000 to get a permit just to climb Everest, forget about flights, gear etc...)  We don't need supplemental oxygen because out bodies can't function at those altitudes.  All we need to climb those mountains in life, is Jesus.

In John 14 he says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled."  He had just told the disciples that he was going away.  But that they didn't need to be worried because he would be back.  He says it again later, "Do not let your hearts be troubled or be afraid."  Why?  Because he was sending "the Spirit of truth," to be with them.

He calls it the Spirit of truth, right after he tells them "I am the way, the truth, and the life..."  Jesus is the truth, so the Spirit of truth is the Spirit of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit of God.  He is with us.  That is all we need.  For climbing over or moving the mountains before us.  Jesus is all we need.

Sure that is easy to say.  But it's like any relationship with a "real" human being on this earth.  You get to know them by spending time together, talking, and most of us like getting to know other people one on one.  Group settings are great, but to get to the heart of someone, it's intimate and close. 

It works the same with Jesus.  I don't think he's the center of attention type of guy.  I mean think about that.  He always like to go off alone, or just be with the disciples, or even among them was closest with Peter, James and John.  If you were at a party with Jesus, you probably would know he was there.

So, if you're at a party or out with a bunch of friends or just distracted by life, Jesus is there, wanting you to spend time with him, but that's up to us.  We need to put down the iPad, step away from the XBox, let the kids do their thing, and spend time with him.  Alone, in quite away from the chaos that seems to be life.

Movies and TV can wait, the Game...can be recorded, that new whatever...can be put off one more hour.  You get to know Jesus by spending time with him.  Real quality time.

So, he tells us not to be troubled...I'm leaving you my Spirit.  We need to get to the place where we say, "Thanks, that is all I need."  And we can climb that mountain, because Jesus is there with us.  We don't need our friends and family (although they are great to have) but Jesus needs to be ENOUGH.  All we need.

Because when Jesus is that for us, he can use us to help others.   When we aren't relying on the strength of those around us, but solely on Jesus, his strength supersedes our ability and transforms others.

Another thing about climbing mountains.  Don't go out of your way to climb a mountain that isn't necessary.  Jesus said this (Matt 6:34) "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Don't climb the mountains that aren't yours to climb.  It's so easy when we try to serve others to take their burdens upon ourselves.  But that isn't our job.

Yes, we are to love our neighbors, and help them.  But their spiritual burdens are for them to bear, or drop at Jesus feet.  We can share life, encourage and pray for them, but we can not forgive sin and wipe them clean.  That is God's right, and his alone.  Galatians 6:2 tells us to "bear one another's burdens," and I believe in context with that passage it is saying exactly this.  To share in experience, prayer, support and understanding.  But do not take up their sin as your own.

If you are ministering to someone who is addicted to say gambling, you don't in turn start to gamble to understand them.  You don't take their debt onto yourself.  You help them along, keep them accountable, and as Jesus said, "love your neighbor as yourself."

Sometimes we struggle and suffer similar things with people at the same time.  We can encourage one another, smile, and help each other along, but we have to remember that it's God, not us or our friend that is going to get us to the top of that mountain, and down the other side.

God, Jesus, the Spirit as one are the author and finisher of our faith.  The beginning and the end.  Jesus took on the sin and suffering of the world, he knows exactly what you are going through.  He already carried you through it.  Rely on him.

Don't lean on your own strength, your own determination.  Trust in Jesus to be there with you every step of the way.  He can't be burdened with sin, just like he wouldn't be limited by oxygen if he were to climb Everest.  He is strong when we are weak, and we will be strengthened in our weakness by him.

So seek courage and strength from God when you have to climb to the bewildering peaks of whatever obstacle you face, he will see you back down safely, and make you stronger than you were before by replacing your reliance on yourself, into trust in him.  So when you are back in the valley, you will have had a life altering experience with a positive outcome.

The only casualties will be the sin, fear, and regret you leave behind.