Don't Climb the Mountain

One of my favorite phrases to live by is "Work Smarter Not Harder." There is always an easier way to do something, and that doesn't mean that you don't want it as bad, it just means you've thought about it and are going about it a more efficient way and probably the way it was meant to be done.I was thinking about how many cultures, religions and even many Christians view God.  Many people view God as being on top of a mountain.  You may have heard the phrase "Mountain Top Experience."  This comes from the thinking that we experience something or work hard to get closer to God.  Ultimately these "mountain top experiences" end and we believe that we are not as close to God anymore. But that where I want to correct it...In the Old Testament this may have been accurate.  And the phrase was originated by the encounters that people had from God on an actual mountain-top.  Examples include:Moses on the Mountain - Exodus 24:15-16"Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.…"Elijah on the Mountain - 1 Kings 19:11"The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.'"BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS....God doesn't ask us to come up the mountain to see Him anymore.  As you can see in the New Testament, He sent Jesus down to us and left us with the Holy Spirit so we don't have to continue to climb the mountain just to experience God.Jesus Came Down the Mountain - John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."Jesus actually climbed the mountain for all of us.  He climbed the mountain of Calvary while carrying a cross where He gave the ultimate sacrifice and allowed us not to ever have to climb a mountain to experience God anymore.So the point is simply this, don't picture God as sitting on top of a mountain far removed from us and only available in unique "Mountain Top Experiences."  God created a way to bring the Mountain Top down to us and keep it there!  God wants to have that experience with you all the time, and wants you to live your life in close connection to Him.  God is available through Jesus and the Holy Spirit whenever and wherever we need Him.  It's as simple as talking with Him!So what are we waiting for.  Stop trying to climb the mountain and just experience Jesus where you are!