Do you feel like you’re always in the valley and never on the mountain top? It’s a common feeling among us all. The mountain top is hard to achieve, and the valley is so quick to find. The mind gets in a rut and seemingly reacts like water—takes the path of least resistance. No one reaches the mountain top except, there is first a desire to r
each it. The extent of our desire will determine whether we strive for mastery or settle for the remnants along with so many others that are dwelling in the valley and bemoaning their circumstances. Trouble makes life bigger if your attitude toward it is a large one. So much trouble in life is self-manufactured, caused not by conditions or by other people, but by ourselves. Maybe your trouble came from making a mistake. We all make mistakes, the man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all—doing nothing. There are voices that say, “See, you messed up! You might as well give up.” That’s the common road for many, but should not be for you. No matter if everything seems shattered by trouble, you can put life together again. Difficulties, troubles, and mistakes have their value. Did you ever stop to think how successful a failure can be? Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties. Thomas Edison, with his light-bulb invention, did not succeed until after he had failed hundreds of times. What if he had given up after his first failure? Unfortunately, so many would have. Storms make the mighty oak tree take deeper root so the next storm has a lesser impact on it. Did you know life will keep going on without you? It doesn’t stop to pick you up when you are down and discouraged. The conductor of a train doesn’t stop the train to throw a rock at a barking dog. The train just keeps moving on and the conductor keeps doing his job, and the dog is left to deal with its own problem. The same will apply to you if all the strength you can muster up is to bark (bemoan your circumstances) at the passing train (life). Life continues on, and you can choose to remain (in the valley) or go with it (to the mountain top). From the Bible, the Apostle Paul so wonderfully wrote of his attitude concerning trouble, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). What vehement determination Paul expressed to us in his writing! No doubt, he was in the midst of one of his many trials when he wrote this. Thus, having the same attitude as Paul, will determine whether you succeed in reaching the mountain top of life.
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