Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday March 31, 2010

During the course of my novelesque life I have read a small mountain of copy on and by Sir Edmund Hillary. As a pre-teen I was amazed when he conquered Mt Everest on May 29, 1953. The old men of Farr Creek and even my Fifth Grade Teacher, Mrs. Maloney had said that no one would ever triumph over the rigors of Everest.

Many who are not into climbing literal mountains, the public at large, are not aware that Hillary and Norgay were part of a team headed by John Hunt.

One of Hillary's statements that I had engraved on a plaque lends understanding to the mountain climbers intense and fierce drive to overcome mountains both literal and figurative. He said:

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves."

As I thought about this statement again over the weekend a truth that had eluded me, though it is right in front of your eyes, is a method that is overlooked by far too many people in life. It is true that life is really about gaining victory over ourself, but we miss the importance of the participation of others in the doing of it.

Sir Edmund Hillary did NOT climb the mountain by himself, but was part of a team. While it is true that victorious Christian living will involve some very lonely moments, the summit is gained through the efforts of team members working in unison.

Some wag wrote, "Self made men usually stop too soon."

Getting close to the summit will depend on your own courage, commitment, and the quality of your team members. The wise Christian who makes the attempt at conquering self grasps the importance of Christ being the leader, the essential knowledge to be gained from God's word and to surround themselves with others who are committed to as Lombardi said, "strive for excellence and victory."

I don’t know what "mountain" you are currently climbing, but it might help if you enlist the aid of a few who know a little about that particular hill.

2 Corinthians 2:14 "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,"

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2010 Use with credit

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