The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain—he is inspired by it. The persistent winner is not discouraged by a problem—he is challenged by it. Mountains are created to be conquered; adversities are designed to be defeated; problems are sent to be solved.  —William Arthur Ward

Every day, month and year we all face mountains that we must conquer. Some are relatively easy to climb while others appear as daunting and insurmountable as Mt Everest. They can be overcoming negativity or self doubt in our lives, facing loss or hurt, or perhaps refusing to succumb to temptation. Whatever they are, they are mountains that we must climb, and our success at conquering these mountains becomes the makeup of our character, our integrity and our relationship with the Lord.

So how do we ease the apprehension, stride out and successfully reach the summit? Just as with climbing a physical mountain there are lessons that we can apply to help us on our way.

Climbing Tips

1. Identify it. We have to know what the mountain is. Is it anger or unforgiveness that is residing in our hearts? Is it a challenge of integrity as simple as returning the shopping trolley to its rightful place? Or perhaps more challenging in dealing with injustice at work or facing rejection? Whatever it is, unless we know what mountain we are at the foot of, we can’t climb it.

2. Confront it. Don’t just walk around it, talk about it or analyze it; you need to deal with it. Paula White said, “You can’t conquer what you won’t confront.” No amount of talking about the mountain gets you to the top. The best thing is to put one foot in front of the other and start climbing.

3. Put in some preparation beforehand. A mountaineer doesn’t just turn up at a mountain and begin climbing; he has prepared himself with training before he even steps foot on the mountain. Jesus always took time out to pray by Himself. This meant that when people needed healing He already had a deposit of prayer to use. He didn’t have to rush away then and there to spend time with His Father. He had done it all beforehand. We need to ensure that our relationship with the Lord is a foundational part of our everyday lives, then, when we face trials and challenges we have the resource available.

4. Have the correct clothes. The success of a climb can hinge on the right equipment and clothes. Without the right clothing climbers freeze to death. We need to be armed with Scripture. We need to know what to say to the enemy when we are facing temptation. We need to know what to claim when we are feeling convicted and condemned by sin. We need to know who we are in Christ so we can confront attacks on our identity and worth. We need to have spent time studying the Bible and imprinting Scriptures like those below on our hearts.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of Life set me free from the law of sin and death. —Romans 8:1-2

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
—Ephesians 1:7

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! —2 Corinthians 5:17

The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. —1 John 4:4

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
—James 4:7

5. Don’t make mountains out of molehills. Deal with the little issues before they become bigger and harder issues. A small hill is easier to ascend than a mountain. A U-turn is better than no turn at all—as Oprah Winfrey once said, “Six Oreos is better than six Oreos and a piece of pecan pie.”

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. —Song of Songs 2:15

6. Avoid Excess Baggage! Any climber is very meticulous as to what is carried. No one likes to carry dead weight. We need to ensure that we not carrying needless baggage—whether it be a backpack of pity, a satchel of regret. Whatever it is, it is best left at the foot of the mountain. The further up the mountain the greater the hindrance it will be to us.

7. Don’t view setbacks as failures. Bear Grylls, who in 1998 was the youngest Briton to climb Mt. Everest, provided this insight:

The process of the climb meant that we would have to ascend then descend the mountain continually. This would allow our bodies to acclimatize to a high point, before coming back to Base Camp to recover. It is how you climb a mountain. You reach the threshold of altitude that your body can cope with, then come back down to rest. Then up a bit higher to acclimatize to a greater height and then back down again… They say that to climb Everest successfully, you actually climb the mountain five times over—in the process of going up and down.”

If we can grasp this concept we will realize that a setback does not necessarily constitute failure. We may get frustrated of going back a few steps. But it enables God to move us further ahead and faster the next time.

8. Surviving the Death Zone. 8000 meters above sea level is what climbers term the “Death Zone.” This is where the human body can no longer sustain life. After prolonged time at this altitude the body begins to die. Faced with limited oxygen it cannot acclimatize. Unable to digest food the body is forced to use its own muscle and bone to continue functioning. At this extreme altitude the body rapidly deteriorates and shuts itself down. For mountaineers pushing through, this is the greatest challenge. For us to successfully conquer our mountain we must also enter the death zone—that is to die to self. There must be less of us and more of God. We must become totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. It is the only way that we will survive. Sir Edmund Hillary once said, “It is not the mountain we must conquer but ourselves.”

9. Don’t travel alone. Remember that God is your permanent travelling companion!

The Lord God is my Strength my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! —Habakkuk 3:19

So, in the words of Dr Seuss,

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

Copyright © by Philippa Smyth Share

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