Invincible

I remember in the days of my youth feeling completely invincible. Nothing in the world could kill me or hurt me badly enough for me to fully appreciate the risks I took. I was heavily into rock climbing my senior year and I remember climbing Kirmse’s Clock, located around 400ft elevation, and consisted of a 110ft. rock face seen from town, with a huge clock painted upon it. I was determined to climb the sheer face of granite. Up I went without a safety rope, connected only to my friend above with a 9mm main line. From the vantage point I was at I could see the entire town. What I didn’t know is that my Dad watched from the town below.

About 3/4 the way up I ran out of hand holds. I spotted a good section of holds that would be a great route to the top. So, I ran sideways from where I was, to the other side of where I needed to go. Mind you, I am attached to the rope, running perpendicular to the rock. If I have lost you, picture me standing straight on your wall...yes, feet planted on the wall. So I ran the opposite direction so that I could build enough momentum on my run to reach the hand hold on the opposite side. This is called a pendulum.

So my Dad is watching from his vantage point. Of course he was terrified. Later that day when I got home, he didn’t forbid me from doing it further but asked if he could persuade me from continuing as I was seriously risking my life or great injury. He offered to buy all my equipment and I could use the money to put towards a new hobby. I actually ended up taking him up on his offer.

The point is that in our youth we feel so invincible. We make decisions based on a false sense of security, which has grand potential for disaster. Usually (not always) we grow out of that feeling. It may be sooner for other and later for some. It might come from wisdom, or it may come from experience. We don’t however do the same with our spiritual life.

When it comes to God we are often very flippant about our invincibility. When he is trying to draw us closer to Him, we resist and say we can deal with that "later," hoping to make a death-bed confession to squeeze into heavens doorway before it shuts on us. We make excuses of how we don’t want to change, or how God makes life boring. We say to Him, "I only have one life to live and I’ll live it my way," all the while missing the bigger picture. You do only have one life to live, but you don’t have to die spiritually.

The reality is we will all face our mortality. For many it will come sooner than we hoped. For a few, life’s years will be long and plentiful. You don’t know where your path lies. God doesn’t offer a life of boredom and gloom. God doesn’t put a yoke upon us to hold us back. God doesn’t want you to know Him in the last moments of your life. God wants to be part of your life.

God was watching me in my spiritual life, making decisions that were harmful and dangerous. Just like my Dad, He made the same offer. He offered to buy more than equipment, he purchased my life. Just like the decision I made with my Dad, I made the choice to allow Christ to be part of my life. With my trust and my heart, He will help guide me through the struggles I will encounter. With Him, I’ll face great trials, wonderful opportunities and I will experience life with a new vision I never could have hoped for alone. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.¹

If you don’t have a mountain to climb in your life, you will. With Christ I will climb my mountains. So can you.



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¹ Phillipians 4:13 (NASB)