Climbing That Mountain

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39 ESV)

As we approach the celebration of Christmas, it also means we are approaching the closing of another year. Though it is purely symbolic, certainly not something I treat legalistically, it's a good opportunity for me to take inventory, reflect on my growth, and stare at that mountain in front of me with confidence.

According to society I'm doing pretty well. I have a great job, get paid far more than I deserve, 2 degrees under my belt, have a happy and healthy family, surrounded by close friends, and have plenty of worldly "stuff" that I have accumulated through the years. However, if I were to measure my life based on these things, I suppose my goals would be to simply get more money, and more stuff, and hope that I can find the time to use that stuff.

Yet it never satisfies does it? That raise I got all too quickly changed from being a bonus, to what I need to balance the budget. That cool stuff I got most definitely lost the edge and flame of excitement. That awesome purchase just turned into more of my 'stuff'.

That's why I love His plan so much better. He calls us to be Holy, like Him. He knows we will never achieve that, but it's our journey and calling nonetheless. I don't look at this mountain of holiness as an insurmountable obstacle of frustration, I see opportunity, amazing opportunity. His "Stuff" we purchase through sacrifice continues to fill me.

He gives everything purpose; He fills every void; He gives life and joy beyond anything this world can give.

So I encourage you to take inventory in the next week or two along with me. Create some goals, that's what I'm going to be doing. Symbolic as it is, it's a wonderful opportunity to make a New Year's resolution for Him, which I guarantee will bless you more than you can imagine. I'm going to be looking to a familiar passage regarding the fruit of the Spirit, and praying about and finding opportunities to increase my fruit:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

Pick a fruit, find your opportunity, and get climbing ... see you on His mountain!

~Matthew