As I was washing dishing a few days ago, Holy Spirit brought mountains to my mind. I wasn’t really even thinking of much, but it certainly didn’t have anything to do with mountains. Naturally this got my attention, so I started asking God, “What about mountains?”

I began to see pictures in my mind of how I as a child, like so many others, drew mountains. It looked something like this:

Notice the high highs and the low lows. Very sharp and pointy and impossible looking. (Yes I drew this with my fantastic art skills). This is how I have seen what we call in “Christian-ese” “mountains and valleys”. You’re either struggling to get up the side, way up on top of the world, tumbling down a steep hill of despair, or wallowing in the valley at the bottom.

This is a mindset that sets us up for failure, and prevents us from thinking more clearly about our journey with the Lord. This is a mindset that keeps you weighed down with guilt (“I’ve got to try harder to get to the top so God/people will approve/love/forgive), pride (“look who’s on top now!), and shame(“I’m falling/have fallen and now God/no one will approve/love/forgive). This is usually accompanied by a life that reflects a person feeling like they have to make it on their own and one that doesn’t depend on God.

Now look back at the picture of the mountain range at the beginning. This gives a completely different picture! The mountains we encounter in life are not single sharp peaks of doom, but instead are more like mountain ranges. Yes, there’s elevation to scale; yes, we may get tired or winded or worn out; yes, we can feel intimidated by this giant rock we’re traversing.

BUT THERE IS HOPE!

This isn’t just one giant impossible mountain; it’s a series of mountains and valleys, highs and lows. That may not sound comforting yet, but think of it this way: with a mountain range, you have variations. The first peak is difficult, but it isn’t that far because it isn’t as elevated. I believe God leads us through these and uses these to help us with our faith. This can also mean the valley down from that peak isn’t one that’s life shattering, but instead is a learning curve, if you will. A correction in behavior, language, mindset, or theology. But you’re still upright and walking, not tumbling down and landing on your head.

By the time we’ve gotten down that part and we face the next peak to aspire to, we’ve built some faith muscle. We can look back and see how far God has brought us and we can see where we succeeded and where we fell and remember that God kept us through both. This pattern continues until we see Jesus face to face.

We’re all human so there will inevitably be times where we have higher peaks and lower valleys, but the analogy of the mountain range reminds us that God keeps a record, and it’s a transparent one. He lets us look back over our life and see where we tried to take our own path and fell, and where we were obedient and rose. And this teaches us that if we’ll keep our eyes on the prize that is Jesus Christ, our journey will end successfully.

Be encouraged, friend. It ain’t over yet.