Mountains or Mole Hills?

“Do not make a mountain out of a mole hill.” My mother frequently spoke this old adage to me. I tended to overreact to everything in my life. (Okay, sometimes I still do.) Had the term “drama queen” been around back then, I would’ve held the title in my house. If something was to be blown out of proportion, I was bound to blow it up big. Thankfully, God has brought much peace and stability to me over the years.

Drama, as the term is commonly used today, generally denotes exaggeration of emotion. This can be either positive or negative, but most always carries a melodramatic flair. Fear generally exaggerates one’s reaction to challenging circumstances. We can imagine the worst possible outcome to any situation that we encounter. The actual result is usually not even close to what we had imagined. We have taken a small problem and built it up in our minds. This is turning a molehill into a mountain.

God speaks clearly in the Bible concerning fear. “Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.” (Isaiah 41:10 AMP) Instead we are always to trust Him. “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 AMP)         

Whereas drama and fear amplify negative emotion, truth and faith will bring hope and victory. Drama is exaggeration but truth is complete accuracy. Truth is not affected by appearances or supposition. Faith will shine the light on and accentuate the truth of God’s promises to us. We are to walk by faith.

We can find a great comfort in the Scriptures during our rough times. When fear tries to “make a mountain out of a mole hill,” God’s word assures us that the opposite is true. When opposition came against the Israelites who were attempting to rebuild the Temple, God spoke to the prophet Zechariah “For who are you, O great mountain [of human obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him] you shall become a plain [a mere molehill]!  (Zechariah 4:7 AMP) There were great obstacles challenging the completion of this work. God Almighty made this promise during a difficult time. What we humans view as mountains of adversity, the Spirit of God will reduce to insignificant mole hills.

I have visited the majestic Rocky Mountains. They rise to great heights and have many beautiful peaks. These mountains are rock solid and have withstood harsh weather conditions over the centuries. These formidable mountains are impressive, but far from the largest peaks in the world.

I have also visited the home of friends who were battling a small colony of moles. These creatures were wreaking havoc in their yard. The small hills left behind as the moles burrowed beneath the surface of the ground were not very tall. They also were not stable and could easily be kicked in. Nuisance is a word I would use to describe them.

Adversity will come in our lives. We must always keep the proper perspective.  We cannot allow small obstacles to appear momentous and stop us from moving forward.  When great problems attempt to block our progress we must allow God to reduce them to minor annoyances that we can step over.

As you go out today do not allow the small things to trip you up. Do not make mountains out of mole hills. Allow God to make molehills out of the mountains you face. Remember always that you face challenges, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6b AMP)