Mt. Moriah - The Mountain of Trial
On Mt. Moriah, Abraham went through the greatest and the most challenging examination of his life – his faith was put to test. Fortunately for him, he passed with flying colors. Abraham was willing to lay down on the altar of sacrifice the most precious and treasured thing (Isaac) in his life just to bond his relationship with God.
At one point or the other, every believer will be called to Mt. Moriah (the mountain of ultimate trial) just like Abraham. Are you willing to pay the ultimate price? Are you prepared to lay it down all for God on the altar of sacrifice? You need to know that life is all about making sacrifices and paying prices. Salvation may look free and be given free of charge, but that does not remove the fact that it comes with ‘a price tag.’ Jesus paid it all in the garden of Gethsemane:
O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done..…. - Mathew 26:42
Our love for God is evident in our willingness to pay the ultimate price in pleasing Him. The force that drives a man to the mountain of sacrifice is love. And if your love is not coupled with passion, laying it down is practically impossible. The almighty God went to the extreme by sacrificing His only Son to redeem mankind all because He was consumed by love borne out of passion. What is that ‘Isaac’ that you cherish so much and technically sapping your energy (passion) of love for God? The real test of leadership can only be tested on the altar of sacrifice. A true leader is like a captain of a ship that is consumed with the passion of bringing both the ship and the passengers on board to safety even if it is going to cost him everything. Those that see leadership as a platform to lord over or oppress are delusional. Leadership only excels in the place of service. The only access to the palace court is through the servants’ quarters One of the things that move God is your zeal to go extra length in pleasing Him. God does not care about the result; He is after the heart behind the result. Any business that does not call for sacrifice will only generate common result. Obtaining a mega result demands costly sacrifice. Taking a quantum leap in achieving any great thing in life, there is a price to pay, and passion makes it easy to pay the price. Passionate service exposes one's talent and inner beauty for the world to see and appreciate.
Esther was noticed by the king when she was a girl servant, and from there she attracted a favor that took her into the office of the “first lady.” Even as the queen of the land, she was passionately consumed to serving her people. She almost gave up her life to save the Jews from destruction. Esther appeared before the king uninvited just to plead for mercy on behalf of his people. She broke a protocol that could cost her life. Instead of a death penalty, she obtained favor before the king. In the aftermath, the case was reversed and her people were saved because she got a “Big heart.” People with “Big heart” will always have their ways.
The call to leadership is not a call to enjoy the luxury of the office; it is a call to a life of sacrifice, respect for core-values, adherence to moral and principles. Take it or leave it, the call of God upon your life will demand ‘the Isaac’ in your life that you find extremely difficult to let go. If God has summoned you to appear on “Mt. Moriah,” make sure you bring “your Isaac” along as sacrifice, otherwise, you will lose it all. Before you can lay hold on your life, you must sow it - living a life of sacrifice.