Let Jesus Be Your Sherpa!

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22 (KJV)

I was listening to WMHK radio, a quality Christian radio station in the Columbia, SC Metro area, the other morning as I drove. The commentators talked about the difficulty of climbing Mount Everest with all the baggage and supplies they need. Someone then said they forgot about the Sherpa. Then one said "Jesus is our Sherpa!" It was an extremely profound statement about the burdens we must bear. We all have our figurative mountains to climb. Living life as a follower of Jesus Christ is difficult and dangerous. Despite being forgiven through the shed, precious blood of Jesus, far too many of us carry around the baggage of guilt for sins we committed, shame from past private hurts that are not our fault and that we feel that we can tell no one about.

We carry around our wounded hearts and broken dreams, our shattered souls, and the dead body of the "old man", the person we were before we met Jesus. Like an unaided climber on Mount Everest, or someone who forgot to hire his Sherpa, it is very easy to wander off the straight and narrow path that leads us to eternal life in Heaven with the Father and His only begotten Son in the place He has returned to prepare a place for us!

Our Savior knows living in this fallen and Post-Eden world is difficult and dangerous. As a country, we have lost our moral compass and are adrift on the "high seas" of lust and greed, aimlessly following the currents of sin in whatever direction they wish to move us. Unnoticed by us aboard this ship with no set course is that we have let Satan blow the powerful and lifesaving bright and pure light of our lighthouse out. It stands, proud and tall, but utterly dark. We have no idea how close we are to floundering against the rocky and jagged coast.

The Messiah stepped off His throne in Heaven and came to Earth on a rescue mission! He came to save our souls and to claim the sheep who heard His voice. He does not want us to be weighed down with the pressures of this World with its false gods, idol worship (worshipping not statues but money and the temporary pleasures and security it brings to those who worship it), and the resulting "stench of sin" as everything today is right and nothing is wrong anymore.

Only through death did He earn the right to carry our "spiritual baggage", and take away all the guilt and shame that we needlessly bear. Look, there He is! The King of Kings is calling you by name. He is asking you to hand over the heavy baggage you have been struggling with as you attempt to climb the mountains in your life. Hand it over to Him. It is why He came, isn't it? Then put your hand into His nail scarred hand and let Him lead you up the path to righteousness and eternal life. Let Jesus be your Sherpa!