The Disappointment of False Peaks

Disappointment in Great Accomplishment

Even in our greatest accomplishments, disappointment can come and steal our joy. Did you ever work hard to reach something that you dreamed would be great, but when you reached it, something was lacking? I know I have, and I think all of us experience disappointment like this at some point in our lives.

Perhaps we wanted a new position in our career that we thought would change our life? Or perhaps we desired a new home in a certain part of town, or a relationship with a certain person that we thought would complete us. And when we finally got what we focused on, we realized it was not as great as we thought it would be.

The False Peaks of Disappointment

I have climbed so many mountains that I’ve lost count. One of those mountains was Mount Elbert in Colorado. I traveled one summer to climb it with some men from a local church. We started our hike before dawn and could not see the peak. As the sun rose, a view through the trees opened and we saw it.

The sight of the majestic, massive mountain top filled us with motivation. With our goal in sight, we continue to march up the trail. As we climb higher the air got thinner, breathing got harder and we lost sight of the peak. Ridges and rock formations blocked our view, and we could no longer see the summit.

Adding to our frustration, some of the ridges and formations also looked like a peak. When we reached them, our view was no longer obstructed. And with disappointed hearts, we could see that we had plenty of mountain left to climb. After encountering several false peaks some members of our party had to stop. They lost motivation and the thin mountain air made it too difficult for them to breathe. They decided to turn around, but most of us pressed on and finally reached the true peak.

My hike up Mount Elbert was not unlike many of the other mountains that I have climbed. Ridges and obstructing rock and land formations pop out on every mountain. This happens so often that climbers call these formations “false peaks.” On most climbs, like our trip up Elbert, climbers encounter multiple false peaks when they climb.

Focus on Christ and Eternity

In life, any goal we put ahead of Christ and His kingdom is a false peak. That goal will always disappoint us in some way. The Bible tells us to have an eternal focus. Hebrews 12:2 calls us to focus “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Not only is Christ to be our focus, but He focused on eternity and our salvation to endure the cross.

Setting and reaching purposeful goals in life is important and does bring us satisfaction. When I stood on top of Mount Elbert, I felt that I had accomplished something. I experienced an emotional rush and the feeling of “I did it!” But even still, a small voice inside me seemed to say, “Is that it?” Even in my joy I felt a bit of disappointment and that I had missed out on something.

Let us keep Christ and eternity in mind with everything we set out to do. Only Jesus Christ truly satisfies. When we get to heaven, we will not ask the question, “Is that it?” We will find complete satisfaction, achievement, and rest there. Revelation 21: 4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. (NASB)”

In Heaven with Christ there is no disappointment.