10/06/16 DON'T MISTAKE THIS FOR A TRAVEL GUIDE TO LUKLA
I sometimes go on short trips around the world, for various reason. I go on Google Earth Transportation. This evening I traveled to Nepal, in order to visit Mount Everest. While there I stopped in at the local village of Lukla. It is funny to be on the other side of the world, in a totally different culture, and then see all the stores and cafe's and lodges with English names and signs; to be in a community that travels by Yak back and sells Yak Burgers at the restaurant. You really should go there sometime.
I think it is safe to say that no one gets to the top of Mount Everest by going down hill. Yes, in order to reach the top, a person will have many ups and downs, but the trip to the top is an upward climb. Few make it to the top, because most people choose the low road.
This is a great imagery for the Christian journey. No one reaches the top, reaches victory, reaches success, reaches heaven without fighting against the elements that want to drag them down; without resisting the allure to coast comfortably down the trail when climbing is essential; without abandoning the crowd who talks about the top, but never makes it to the top.
It is easier to let the rushing current carry you down, when in fact you need to spend and be spent in order to go up the stream instead.
It is easy to let the self absorption, the self pity, the self protection of the crowd drown out the call to deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus daily.
It is easy to accept the status quo and reject pursuit of exceptionalism and spiritual attainment.
If you have a pastor that calls you to spiritual victory, success, greatness, don't criticize him, but rather follow him as he follows Jesus, and obey God's word.
Don't worry about being too zealous for God and too faithful to a godly pastor. There are plenty of others who will fill that role, and they will be piled high on the shoals of failure. If you want to reach the heights you must have the single eye and you must not pamper or protect your self or your feelings. You must be willing to lovingly and faithfully submit to godly discipline, correction, reproof, and instruction.
