False Summits.

In my brief stint as a Coloradoan, I encountered a few false summits. Those peaks that look like the summit, until you get close enough to realize that they're not. Instead, they're sources of frustration and disappointment, even anger. 

Imagine trekking through the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by pine trees and clear blue skies above.  You're breathing heavily as the air gets thinner and trying to keep moving. The trail keeps winding through thick forest and rocky terrain, with no end in sight. Your body aches, your throat is parched, and everything in you wants to turn back.  And then, there's a clearing in the woods. Sunlight pours in.  A peak appears in the distance. 

There it is. The summit. We're almost there.  With  fresh resolve, you keep on the trail, eyeing the peak constantly. In your mind, you anticipate the breathtaking views that await and the feeling of accomplishment. But as the peak gets nearer, you realize the trail isn't taking you there. In fact, it's taking you right past it. 

Really?! Your steps become a little heavier, and you feel the tightness in your chest again.  Your heart sinks, and your fists clench, as you realize you've been looking to a false summit. Sigh. You work up the strength to keep moving, hoping that the real one will soon be in sight. 

False summits. Disappointment. Disillusionment.  They're constants on our journeys.

Rewind a couple thousand years. The Jewish people waited for a King. For one who would save them from the tyranny of Rome. The one who would restore worship of Yahweh. The one who would put Israel back on the map. 

And they get a baby, born in a stable to a teenage girl, out of wedlock. 

An ordinary carpenter. 

A teacher who hangs out with all the wrong people. And preaches things seemingly contradictory to the Law of Moses. 

An unattractive man who says He is God Himself.

A King who dies on a cross as a criminal. 

Not the political revolutionary who was supposed to lead the revolt. Not the social activist who would bring them justice.  False hopes. 

Instead, they get a Shepherd, a Savior, a Servant, whose Kingdom values are upside down. He is nothing like the King they waited for. 

He's still not who I think He should be. 

I've waited for a King who will bring me Happiness. Significance. Security. Comfort. Purpose. 

And He won't give them to me. At least, not how I want them. Instead, He leads me through trials and deserts. Death to self. Surrender. (for the joy.) 

He calls me to let go of even things that I think are pleasing to Him. My passions and ministries that have become my personal kingdom. My life plans that guide my life more than He does. My sense of self that is actually a shoddily-made mask for the "me" He's made. Things I loved: the mountains and my friends in Colorado. 

Each time I run up against one, I crumble under the disappointment. I think it was what I wanted. I'm angry because my hope was running high and now it's dashed. Yet, I'm grateful because what I really want is to reach the True Summit. I want Jesus' Kingdom to come. The false summits are just distractions.

What false summits have you encountered? The things you thought were the ultimate but turned out to be lesser things. Relationships? A job? A location? Marriage? Children? 

This Advent, I invite you to consider with me, is the True Summit worth the climb, through the deserts and the valley? Is Eden really what my heart longs for?  And if they are, will I still make room in my heart for Servant-King even when it brings pain and disappointment?