There’s a story told about Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first person (along with Tenzing Norgay) to reach the top of Mount Everest.
It happened on his third try. On his previous attempt he not only failed to reach the summit, but his team also lost one of its members.
A few months after their failed effort, Hillary spoke to an audience about the experience.
Behind him on the platform was a huge photograph of Everest. Hillary turned toward the image and said, “Mount Everest, you have defeated us. But I will return. And I will defeat you. Because you cannot get any bigger … and I can.”
When it comes to facing mountains, how does one “get bigger“?
It begins with faith. Jesus said…
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
Edmund Hillary became “bigger than Everest” through better planning, more detailed research, greater teamwork, and tenacious perseverance.
And the first step was faith — faith that this mountain could be conquered, after all.
No doubt you’re facing a mountain or two today: a mountain of problems, a mountain of fear, a mountain of uncertainty.
Mountains don’t move without determined effort, thoughtful planning, or courageous perseverance.
And these all begin with faith.
It is faith that gives you the substance to attempt something bigger than you. Not faith in ourselves, but faith in the God for whom nothing is impossible.
What might you say to the mountain you face today?
