The Faith Seriesਨਮੂਨਾ

Day 6: Faith for Navigating Plateaus and Releasing Baggage

Plateaus for Rest

All climbers hit plateaus. A plateau is a place designed for rest, not for residence. Climbing out of a plateau tests our commitment to reaching the top of the mountain. When we walk by faith, the Holy Spirit helps us discern the difference between God’s designated time for rest and the temptation to quit the climb for a while.

If you’re going to be a mountain climber, you must understand that God, in both His mercy and testing, will allow plateaus in our lives. Some plateaus may last a month. Others may last for years.

When you’re on a plateau, the worst thing you can do is: 1) feel condemned, or 2) refuse to rest. If God has given you a plateau, it’s a gift. It means He knows something is coming that requires your strength, and He’s giving you time to recover before the next climb.

The Baggage of Sin

The higher the altitude, the less baggage you can carry. You can carry a lot of sin at 50 feet. At 1,000 feet, it’s harder. At 2,000 feet, your breath begins to go. At 2,200 feet, you’re faced with a decision: Either drop the sin and keep climbing, or stop here. Sin clings like excess weight, draining your energy; unless you lay it down, it will keep you from going where God is calling you.

Flatlanders don’t have to make the hard choices that come with thinner air and a heavy pack. You won’t grow at sea level because you’re never forced to choose between your comfort and your calling. The higher the climb, the less you can carry. Growth demands elevation—and elevation demands surrender.

As you ascend the mountain, this cycle will repeat:

• Revelation and a preceding word that lead to a cliff to climb;
• A plateau offering rest, recovery, and time to gain strength;
• A shift in the spiritual atmosphere that signals a new level of calling;
• To go further, more baggage must be released;
• A new piton of revelation is given, which begins the cycle again.

Remember, you were never meant to camp halfway up the mountain—your calling is found at the top.