7 Non-Negotiables for the Greatest Challenge of Your Life (Part One)
- mscallion
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
By Dennis Rainey
Life in our world today is challenging … a lot like climbing Mt. Everest. It’s 29,029 feet tall, and over the years many climbers have died in their quest to reach the summit.
If you were about to embark on climbing the tallest mountain in the world, wouldn’t you like to know the non-negotiables of survival? I found an online list of “7 Survival Rules” for your climb to the summit. Here’s what veteran Everest climbers say …
1. Always have the last word on your safety. “It's very healthy to take control of your own gear, oxygen and climbing decisions. To turn around allows for new attempts. It's wiser to fail than to die.”
2. Respect the weather. “Bad weather can turn an easy, sunny climb into a horrible, fatal inferno. The change is often fast and unforgiving.”
3. Use the ropes. “Don't hurry, clip in everywhere. At technical parts, fixed with old rope, clip in to several lines at once. Almost yearly climbers die in the Himalayas due to old rope.”
4. Drink plenty. “High altitude health problems like headache, edema, frostbite, confusion and such are actually more often related to dehydration than lack of oxygen.”
5. Know yourself. “In dangerous situations, we all react differently. Some freeze, some panic, some are rational. How will you react?”
6. Know your gear, oxygen and alpine medicine. “Preparation is the seed of success. On Everest, it’s also the key to survival.”
7. Watch for avalanche conditions. “Avoid climbs following heavy snowfalls. … don’t climb the icefall too late in the day, and—well—keep your fingers crossed.”
So, are you ready to ascend Everest this year? Not so much? Count me out!
But let me draw a real-life parallel: Life today is filled with dangerous, life-threatening challenges and precarious situations. You may even wonder if anyone is holding your rope!
The greatest challenge of your life is living your life. Since life was created by God, would you like to know what His seven non-negotiables are … not just for survival but also for success in life? Like the seven listed for climbing Mt. Everest, these are very practical. They are also intensely spiritual since God designed life as we know it.
On our Inspiring Courageous Faith YouTube channel, recently I began a series on the “Seven Non-Negotiables of the Christian Life.” These are the gritty essentials—they go to the core of how He made us. And by the way, they all require courageous faith!
1. Seek God, not sin.
For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live.” Amos 5:4
God is the life-giver. We will find life in no other. But as sinful creatures, our hearts are naturally prone to wander from our Creator. Our souls were made to pursue God, know God, and walk with God … nothing else. It’s only as we pursue Him that we truly find the life that He designed for us to live.
In the book of Amos, God tries over and over again to get the attention of His people. He allows them to experience famine, drought, and pestilence and yet, as God says in Amos 4:11, “… you did not return to me.” But Amos 5:4 reminds us of where life is found. God says, “Seek me and live.” These words should get our attention. We will only find life by seeking the one true God Who is the creator of life.
2. Fear God, not men.
The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. Proverbs 19:23
Our God is holy, and He is the Lord God Almighty. When I think of the power He holds, I can’t help but fear Him and hold Him in reverential awe.
Do you care more about what men think of you than what God thinks? Then learn to fear God, and you will be preoccupied in walking in His presence, not wondering what other people think of you. You will begin to live your life in light of eternity, and the temporal views of men won’t matter anymore.
The fear of the Lord also keeps us from evil and sin. A.W. Tozer wrote, “It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate.” When we lose the fear of God and don’t respect Him and His commandments, we will live our lives without accountability to God, which is the cause of a hundred lesser evils among us.
3. Love God, not the world.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17
What is the object of your affections? Power? Recognition? Affluence? The applause of men?
Not too long ago, I visited a remarkably beautiful house. As I walked around it, for just a moment my thought was, “I could have had a house like this.” But I was reminded that a house is not what life is all about. The world is seeking to seduce us and reduce us to a love affair with materialism, power, and money, but we must love God and be preoccupied with pleasing Him alone.
When I first fell in love with Barbara, I was preoccupied with pleasing her. I was attentive to the words, actions and sacrifices that made her smile.
In the same way we must also love His people and be concerned about their spiritual condition and ultimately, their eternal destiny. We must look at them with compassion, like Jesus, and be moved with action to do something for them. Those who love God will do what He wants and be concerned about His mission and His will, and they will fulfill His calling.
Learning to love God and not the world is a lifelong test of courageous faith.
Next week I’ll share the final four non-negotiables of walking with God!
Be sure to check out my series on “7 Non-Negotiables of Courageous Faith” on our Inspiring Courageous Faith YouTube channel:
This is too good to keep to yourself! Share with a friend or family member using the links below!
Are you a TheRaineys.org Family Member? If not, stop missing out by clicking here.
