Finding Certainty in Confusion

Even under the best conditions, climbing a mountain like Mount Everest is an act of near madness. Standing on top of the peak is like stopping a passenger jet in mid-flight and climbing out onto the wing. The altitude, the below zero temperatures and most alarmingly, the lung destroyer- which produces a confusing atmosphere caused by ultra-thin air.

In May 1996, it was clear to anyone listening to the Mount Everett radio traffic, that climber Rob Hall had decided to give up. In the brutal cold and almost oxygen-free air found at Everest altitudes, a sort of woozy acceptance sets in. Decisions to climb or descend, to rest or trek on, get made with an excepting shrug. At that moment, Hall was shrugging toward death.

Hall was only 400 feet shy of Everest 29,028-foot summit. He was stuck on the shelf where he spent the night after a sudden blizzard battered the mountain. The situation was hardly survivable but the other climbers were determined to help Hall make it. Over the radio, they cheered him on. Hall laughed weakly and didn’t move. A short time later, no one ever heard from him again. Hall gave in and gave up- his lack of oxygen confused him and mislead him to decide to stay where he was.

Like the lack of oxygen to our brain causes confusion, the lack of engaging in God’s Word and trusting Him with the concerns of our lives is spiritually fatal to our life and the purpose God has for us. The lack of engagement with God can often cause confusion, and many times in that confusion, it will lead us to stay stuck in a life of mediocracy or it will take us down the lane of unwise decisions.

At times, life seems like a mountain climb and when our journey gets hard and riddled with discouraging delays, fatigue, or a storm that appears to be overtaking us, we are most susceptible to deception by our enemy….  persuading us to give up and give in. Since Satan is the author of confusion, he will confuse us and convince us to stay where we are. Why? Because “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;…” But Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

We need to ask God for the courage to press on and the perseverance to press into Him when we feel like giving up. Many times, the temptation to give in is when we are nearest to the summit.

To have the abundant life Jesus wants us to have, we must trust God in times of trouble, keep our faith intact through prayer and reading His Word. If we don’t, we will shrug ourselves towards a living death of mediocrity or making life-stealing decisions, missing all that God has for us, and the summit is not something we want to miss.

What situation has left you feeling confused and tempted to give up or give in?

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33