One of the constants at Look Up Lodge is hills. Most trips seem uphill both ways.
When it comes to those hills, I’ve noticed there are a few different kinds of people. There are those who get in a group, put one foot in front of the other, and just keep moving. They’re laughing, talking, and enjoying the people around them.
Then there are those who quietly fall behind the group. They’re huffing and puffing while internally complaining about how steep the hill is, how hot and humid it is, how poorly they slept the night before, and how much farther they have to go.
And then there’s the third group. They’re loud about it. They’re convinced they’re facing imminent death from the humidity and the steep incline. Sometimes these are perfectly healthy teenagers who simply need a little more vitamin D and exercise!
But one thing is true for all three groups. The hill is exactly the same. The humidity is exactly the same. The distance is exactly the same. The difference isn’t the hill. It’s the attitude each person brings to it.
That reminds me of today’s reading:
“Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.” Philippians 2:14–15
One of the things life has taught me is that circumstances don’t usually create what’s inside of us—they reveal it. Pressure doesn’t manufacture complaining; it exposes a complaining heart. So maybe one of the best tests of our spiritual maturity is this: How quickly do I complain? How small does the inconvenience have to be before I lose my joy? How insignificant does the frustration have to become before everyone around me knows about it?
We’ve said before that complaining is contagious. One complainer can change the atmosphere of an entire group. But complaining also exhausts the complainer. It doesn’t make the hill any shorter. It doesn’t make the weather any cooler. It doesn’t solve the problem. It simply robs us of the strength and joy needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Paul reminds us why this matters. Christians are to “shine like stars in the world.” People notice when believers respond differently than everyone else. Our joy in difficult circumstances points people toward the God we trust.
Finally, every hill at camp reminds me of a much greater hill. The greatest hill I ever faced wasn’t at Look Up Lodge. It was my sin and rebellion against God. Jesus willingly climbed the hill to Calvary, bearing my sin, my shame, and the judgment I deserved. He didn’t grumble. He didn’t turn back. He endured the cross for my salvation.
In light of that, most of the hills I face today aren’t nearly as steep as they first appear.
So today, put one foot in front of the other. Trust the Lord. Refuse to grumble. Shine like a star. And keep climbing.