Today is National Mountain Climbing Day.*
The creators of this holiday intended for observers to—you guessed it—climb a mountain. It doesn’t have to be a big one, it just has to be a mountain. Set your goal and climb!
The hope is that you’ll be able to look back on your accomplishment, however large or small, and say to yourself, “Look at that! I did that. I climbed a mountain today.”
This holiday might not be as well-known as other holidays, but it made me think.
At the end of the day, a sense of worth is important to us. We want to feel appreciated; we want to be seen. We want other people—friends, family, coworkers, employers—to see how hard we struggle, how much we’ve accomplished.
We want people to know we’ve climbed mountains.
Don’t get me wrong. Our accomplishments, what we’ve achieved, can be seen and spoken about in godly ways, with all humility and confidence in the gifts with which God has blessed us. We know those deeds are done in thankfulness for everything God does for us.
Sometimes.
But what happens when those achievements go unnoticed? What happens when we don’t feel appreciated? What happens when we aren’t seen? What if no one ever sees how hard we struggle or how much we’ve accomplished? What happens when sinful pride, bitterness, and resentment rear their ugly heads?
What then?
Dear Christian, your God sees you. He always sees you. He knows your struggle; he knows what you’ve accomplished. But your worth to him isn’t found in the things you have or haven’t done.
Your worth—your precious worth—to God is found entirely in the work and worth of his Son, Jesus.
Jesus climbed a mountain for you and me—one we could never hope to climb.
He lived a perfect life in our place and then dragged a wooden cross up a mountain to a shameful death for our sins. Because of Jesus, God forgives us. He loves us. Because of Jesus, we have a home in heaven waiting for us.
In his Word, God points us to that mountain, to the bloody cross, and says, “Look at that! I did that. I climbed that mountain. For you.”
Whether or not you choose to observe National Mountain Climbing Day, take a moment to reflect upon what our God has done—the mountain he climbed for you and me.
Thank you, God.
* Interestingly enough, just about anybody can declare something to be a national holiday. However, a true national holiday is recognized by the U.S. Congress and/or declared by the president of the United States. National Mountain Climbing Day is not one of those holidays . . . yet.
If you’re looking for Christ-centered devotional books reminding you of your importance and worth to God, check out Pastor Matthew Doebler’s God Loves Nobodies: Good News for Somebody Like Me or Pastor Mark Paustian’s Our Worth to Him: Devotions for Christian Worship. Another great devotional is John Hardison’s A View From the Mountains: Inspirational Snapshots of God’s Grace in Action.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.