There's something about a mountain that says, "conquer me!" I don't know if everybody is made this way, but I sure am. Since I was a child, every time I have found myself at the base of a mountain, I have felt this urging to get to the top! When I look at a mountain, I do like the challenge it poses (there have been many that have conquered me), but I don't simply want to scale a mountain just for the challenge. I want to get a view from the top. I want the view from on high.
As Christi and were "running" (I use that term loosely) up a small mountain close to where we were staying I found myself looking down a lot. Some parts of our trail were relatively smooth, while others were pretty rocky. To keep up my pace without causing injury I needed to look down consistently. Picking my steps, carefully watching so I didn't twist an ankle or slip as I ran. Somewhere in my progress, I heard..."you're missing it." What was I missing? My View To the top.
It immediately hit me. In my hurry to get to the top, I was no longer looking at the top of the mountain or celebrating the progress that I was making. I was missing out on the views as I drew nearer to my goal. I couldn't celebrate God's glory that He was revealing because all I was staring at was my feet.
Church, I couldn't get this out of my head. How many times have I not stopped to celebrate what God is up to, because I just saw another step and missed the view? How often have I woken up with a view of Heaven only to let the challenges of the day take my eyes off of WHY I live and breathe or WHAT the purpose of my striving is for?
Listen, slowing down is not in my nature. The point of progress is progress...right? Not at all. Too many men and women have started off with good intentions, only to miserably progress through the Christian life or even worse to take the wrong path and end up going down instead of up. Funny...I can hear it in my head now...the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Never thought of it like that before. If we're not looking up...keeping our focuses constantly on Christ, it is pretty easy to ruin our faith.
Jesus endured the cross because of the JOY set before him.
Paul spoke for running a good race and finishing it.
Solomon learned this striving for his own purposes was meaning less.
When so many turned away said, where would we go? You hold the words of eternal life.
We must pick our eyes up. Our spirits will be renewed by the progress of our faith. Seeing what awaits us at the Top, but also rejoicing at the view all along the way. Yes, we have to watch our steps, but more importantly we have to Watch His. Delight in Him. Take time to notice what He's doing through and around you. Live for the Top...yes. But also enjoy His glory along the way.
