Sacrificing a Dream -- Would you do it?

In a rescue that made news around the globe, Naday Ben-Yehuda, an Israeli man, was close to accomplishing his dream of scaling the summit of Mt. Everest when he stumbled upon Aydin Irmak, an American of Turkish origin, in the darkness. Irmak had already reached the peak of Mt Everest and was descending when he collapsed.

With weather conditions and his own chance to reach the summit deteriorating rapidly, Ben-Yehuda had a choice to make--press on, or help the stricken climber?

In an interview with the Associated Press, "Ben-Yehuda said his military training in Israel helped shape his reflexive decision to rescue Irmak. 'You never leave a friend in the field,' he said." The Israeli carried Irmak for hours to safety in a lower-altitude camp.

Ben-Yehuda is a living example of John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Although Ben-Yehuda didn't sacrifice his life, he chose to lay down his right to accomplish his dream.

Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, says this:

"As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and luxurious prospects will open up before you, and these things are yours by right; but if you are living the life of faith, you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God choose for you."

He goes on to say, "The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best."

Reaching the top of Mt. Everest after training for months or years would have been good.


Saving a man's life was best.

You may not be scaling the summit of Mt. Everest like Naday Ben-Yehuda, but you have an agenda every day. So do I. Are we willing to lay down that good agenda for God's greater one if the opportunity presents itself?

Do you think Ben-Yehuda will come to the end of his life and say, "Man, I wish I had left Irmak behind and climbed to the top."?

I think not.

I wonder how God will use us if we  say "yes" to the best even though it means saying "no" to the good?

(Wetterstein mountains in Bavaria)

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