THE MOUNTAINS
Looking at a mountain can make a person feel small. Depending on one’s perspective, the vastness of a craggy peak can dwarf or even strike fear in us. This is true of physical mountains–Everest, K2, Mt. McKinley–but it’s also true of metaphorical mountains. When we’re faced with trials and heartache, we can feel as small and scared as a person standing at the foot of a massive range of unscalable peaks.
Ministry leaders can feel this way, too. Even though they’ve chosen to rely on Jesus alone and have accepted His call to serve in Kingdom leadership, mountains can still feel daunting…unmovable.
Our shepherding team from the Southeast US recently discussed this at our gathering outside of Nashville, TN. Thirty-five of us (picture above) talked about the mountains in our own lives and in the lives of those we shepherd.
That’s when one of our shepherds, Rob Harris, shared a song he wrote about the words of Jesus recorded in Mark 11:23…
Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
Through his music, Rob urged us to fix our eyes on God, not the mountains in our lives.
This is what we do as shepherds. We remind ministry leaders to focus on God rather than on the mountains in their lives. Rob’s lyrics urged all of us:
“Don’t tell God how big your mountain is
Tell the mountain how big your God is
Tell your deepest doubts that He lives
So you can overcome
There’s nothing to be scared of
Walking in the strength of His love
Don’t tell God about your mountain
Tell the mountain about your God.”
When ministry leaders are encouraged and supported, when they have godly confidence to face their mountains, they return to their congregations stronger. The ripple effect on communities is gigantic. Healthy leaders lead flourishing ministries, which God uses to transform the world. That’s why healthy leaders are our focus at Standing Stone, and we love our work. Thanks for being part of what we do.
Weekly Encouragement
If you read long enough in the Old Testament, you’re likely to run across a reference to “the high places.” These were sites of idol worship, erected on mountaintops so that surrounding communities could view them from wherever they were. Many of these idols were bloodthirsty, capricious “gods” that required horrific sacrifices to appease their anger. It’s a wonder that the Israelites chose to worship at the high places.
Yet they did.
That’s why some Bible scholars believe Psalm 121, which begins with the famous line, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?” refers to a person evaluating the high places of worship and rejecting them, choosing instead to trust that “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).
When we look overlong at the metaphorical mountains in our lives–the troubles and sorrows that Jesus acknowledges will come in every life (John 16:33)–those mountains can become idols in our lives. Of course, we don’t worship our trials in they ways we regularly associate with worship, but giving our time, attention, and resources to our “mountains” does take our focus off God. And anything that takes our eyes off Jesus can become an idol.
I don’t want that and I don’t think you do either.
As we remind every ministry leader we shepherd, we remind you today: God is bigger than your mountain. Turn your eyes on Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
