How To Manage Your Mountains

Karen

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

—Psalm 62:5–6

Some days it seems everywhere I look I see mountains—mountains of laundry to fold, papers to sort, emails to answer, and dirty dishes to clean. Tending to the mountains in my life often leaves me exhausted. It also triggers frustration because no sooner have I dealt with one of these mountains when another starts to pile up all over again, staring me in the face and leaving me defeated. Have you been there?

Our relationships also bring emotional mountains to scale as well. Constant interactions with people and the emotional stress they sometimes bring can make for a difficult climb. Perhaps a lesson on the sport of mountain climbing can give us insight into how to make our trek a little less daunting.

Mountain climbing is not for the faint of heart. Besides being physically strenuous, it causes changes in the climber’s body as they ascend. The higher in elevation you go, the lower the oxygen concentration. If climbers aren’t careful to take precautions, the change can cause serious medical conditions resulting in hospitalization and, in some cases, even death.

To prevent these conditions, an experienced mountain climber knows how important periods of rest are. And not just stopping at the current altitude to take a break. There is a strategy where climbers retreat to an elevation lower than the one to which they have climbed in order to give their lungs a rest—especially at night. This tactic is referred to as “climb high—sleep low.” Mountaineers will trek as high as they safely can during the day but return to a lower elevation to sleep.

Similarly, the expedition known as life is not for the faint of heart. Although the highs and lows we traverse each day might not adversely affect our lungs, they can wreak havoc upon our hearts and drain us physically. Oh, how important it is to rest our bodies and nourish our souls!

Today’s verse states it perfectly. When we carve out time to rest in God—taking a physical break and filling up our spirits—we gain hope and acquire strength to face the challenges of life.

Have you been trying to scale the mountain of life without stopping to refresh and refuel? Maybe it’s time to adopt the “climb high—sleep low” strategy yourself.

As you trek onward and upward, God will be with you in the highs. He’ll refresh you in the lows. Settle your soul and meet with Him today.

Father, please help me carve out time each week to get alone and meet with You. May I find rest and rejuvenation so I can continue to climb the mountains of life for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What grade would you give yourself in the area of rest? What will you do this week to carve out time to slow down and savor some time alone with the Savior?