Regardless of your past or present faith system or faith status, we all are driven by hope. We are all motivated by the belief that we might could – whatever could might be.
And then there is life. This life has great capacity to suck the energy and oxygen out of our lives. Life’s circumstances, relationships, and attitudes can literally chew up our soul like a stump grinder. So, where do we get the “stuff” needed to reach our summit?
As we talked about in yesterday’s Weekend Teaching at Sugar Hill Church – The stuff we need to start the climb is a bit different than the “stuff” we need to stay on the climb and summit the climb! So, here are the three essentials if you are to stay on the climb, and enjoy it!
First, and especially if you are at a stage of your climb that is exhausting you or beating you up. STOP – Get off the path, off the hamster wheel, and get settled in a moment, or a season of quietude. Still your soul and settle your heart. You cannot do these things while staying on a fast track of busyness, chaotic expectations, and hearing or answering to everyone but your Creator!
In John 14:27, Jesus tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” He said, “Let not.” That means don’t allow it. The choice is ours. You are the one who allows people, problems and circumstances to own you. Often, your heart becomes troubled because you allow joy-robbers, dream-poopers, and soul-suckers to convince you that you can’t climb this climb!.
One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is Psalm 131:1-2. The Psalmist says, “Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. 2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
Like a baby who is past the breastfeeding years but remembers that mom is the place of warmth, safety and peace. It’s the place where hunger is satisfied. It’s also the place where we hear the quiet, soothing beat of mom’s heart.
The Lord wants us to have that same sincere, childlike spirit. Everybody says they want to have the blessing and protection of the Divine, but do we want to be held by the Divine so closely that we can hear His heartbeat?. The only way to live in someone’s shadow is to be close. The only way to dwell in that secret place and to hear the soothing beat of His heart is to get so close to Him that you’re leaning into Him.
Second, and especially if you are uncertain of your next steps. DROP to your knees and find the power of meditation, contemplation and prayer. While the Divine never promised that this life would be a simple climb, He did promise to never leave you, never forsake you, always be for you, and love you with an everlasting love!
Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer is either your first and best thought or action, or prayer is a foreign, irrelevant belief, hope and action that you put in the corner like a StairMaster collecting dirty clothes, rather than helping you grow healthy. You know if you use it, it’s good for you. You know it’s designed for your good, and yet…there it is, collecting the clothes that need to go to the dry cleaners.
DROP – Get in a posture of reverence, a position of awe, and an attitude of faith!
Third, and especially if you are inclined to not finish well, which is most of us! ROLL on – get back on the path, find your grit. Get your climb on. Focus your mind, heart, soul and strength on the journey AND the destination. Keep your eye on the prize. Learn from your past – Firmly grab hold of your present – And trust the Divine with your future!
Again, Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
The Divine will always put you back on the Climb after you have stopped to “know that He is God.” Dropped to your knees to hear from Him. I believe He longs for us to STOP, DROP, and hear Him say…”Now, Let’s Roll!”
Forget the past – you can’t fix it – Start focusing your heart on the person the Divine is calling you to be TODAY. And, Press on toward the victory that Jesus, the Lord has called you to – GO GET YOUR CLIMB ON!
The Divine Creator of this Universe has equipped you to climb your climb, overcome your failures, course correct your path, and celebrate your victories. Don’t miss the climb of your life, because of your faith crisis, your family orthodoxy, or your view of what others believe of you or of God.
This climb you are on is as unique to you as your DNA. It is as individual as your fingerprint, and it is as specialized as your personality.
Trust the One who created you, breathed life into you, called you, loves you, and longs to climb with you! He is waiting on you! He is longing for you to Stop before Him, DROP before Him and ROLL with Him.
He is FOR YOU! Go live like it, love like it, and CLIMB like it!
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20
Amen, Amen, and Amen!
Chuck
