The Christian Journey

A journey is taken in anticipation of arriving somewhere. For the Christian, that would be the Kingdom of Heaven, our coming into the heavenly presence of the Father for eternity. The anticipation should serve to sustain us as we travel on this earth. It should put different light on all the hardships and trials we endure here, and then in like accord, I would think it would also put a different light on the blessings and joys of this world. The scriptures tell us to always be looking ahead to the prize... because when we do, our priorities are set in the right order! And not only that but we come to realize that all we suffer or experience have a divine purpose --- to make us into that which the heavenly father wants us to be by the end of our journey.

To consider ourselves on a journey is saying "we are just passing through this world." It is saying we do not expect to remain here. It is the confession that this is the temporal and that this temperal only serves to lead to something. That the perfect is yet to come, and we can look forward to that and even take great comfort in that. That one day there will be no suffering, no pain, no struggles. That is comforting.

BUT....We know, that when we one day look back on our journey, and we will, the important thing will be "how did we respond" to that which we encountered and experienced. How Christlike were we and did we do any better when He had to put us through it the 2nd or 3rd time?

I think this is a great wisdom we are to have so we will and can accept the very place God has us in at this very moment no matter what it is.... Of course you must first believe it is His doings, his destiny for you. And I do believe that he orders our life, our journey. That when we become his child, and submit to him..we are placed in his will in the journey. If we come to REALLY believe this, we will not grumble about anything... not even about the weather, and surely not grumble about the spouse, the family, the job, the town...any of it. This is truly the secret of contentment ... believing that He is so in control of our journey that we give thanks for all of it and then set out to be our best in all of it! Makes you think doesn't it.