At the top of one of the most difficult mountains I have summited, is staked a flag. Each time I summit the mountain, a picture of the flag is taken as a symbol of my personal achievement.
Someone ahead of me planted the flag a long time ago, yet in that breathless moment of exhaustion and excitement—I own the flag.
The astronauts planted a flag on the moon as a symbol of great achievement. Olympians carry flags representing his or her country to let millions of onlookers know the soil which holds the sweat of their individual achievements.
Flags are carried and planted by individuals who have taken ownership of something—something that is often of such value that a person is willing to risk his or her life in the process of staking the flag. Flag planting can symbolize both personal achievements as well as spiritual markers on our faith journey. A person willing to plant a flag is a person willing to stake his or her reputation on the cause or project connected to the flag.
We read an account of many heroes of the faith in chapter 11 of Hebrews. Short accounts of flag-carrying men and women whose lives were spent clearing paths through difficult terrain, so that we might one day stake our flags next to theirs. Their flags were planted in faith, with expectation, and the ability to see with spiritual eyes something that was worth dying for, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. The did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” (Hebrews 11:13)
Personally, I have planted my flag on a mountain of my own choosing, only to later wonder if my chosen mountain was worthy of my sacrifice. Sometimes we need to sit still and pray and wait for God to plant a desire within us of such conviction that when the climb becomes difficult we remain unwilling to turn back because we consider the cause worth the cost.
One thing I have learned: we cannot manufacture the passion, desire nor commitment necessary to stake a flag on our own strength. Only God, through the gift of His Spirit, can ignite us and consume us with desires that, once planted, result in staked flags that point to Christ. We become conduits through which God’s goodness and glory shine as we persist in our God-given ventures.
If you, like me, remain uncertain what it is that your life is to be spent for—in other words—you haven’t felt the freedom to start up any particular mountain with a flag in your back pocket which must be planted whatever the cost—don’t be discouraged.
Not every season of life is a plant-your-flag kind of season. Summiting a mountain requires preparation. Prayer, reading the Word, resting in God’s presence and learning how to hear His voice are necessary skills if we are to successfully summit our mountains. In these moments of preparation, as our spirits groan before God, His passions and purposes are planted in the depth of our souls while all that is not of Him is pulled up by the roots. This can prove to be a painful season but is necessary for what lies ahead.
We don’t get to decide the length of our preparatory season prior to planting our flags. It is for us to trust that the One who has called us is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Stay the Course…
Sheila
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