Arriving may not be as important as the journey. Read why.
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
We’ve all been on the sending or receiving end of the question Are we there yet? The kids in the backseat are getting restless and want to know if the journey is close to being over. I recently became aware that the question was not confined to the kids in the backseat. I discovered that subconsciously, I had been asking God the same question. I had been looking at both the work God had been doing in me and the “challenges” He had allowed in my life. I had become engrossed in wondering what God was attempting to teach me through the trials that just wouldn’t go away.

I know you can relate to this. We’ve all wondered what God was trying to teach us. Fortunately for me, in a moment of clear thinking, I realized that I had fallen back into the trap that ensnared me many times before. I was reminded once again that I was indeed a slow learner. I knew better, but I had allowed myself to slip back into an old pattern of thinking.

We’ve all been there. We think we’re so spiritual when we search for what God is trying to teach us in our trials. The truth, however, is that our motivation is all about eliminating pain. What we really want is to know what corrections we need to make so we won’t have to go through anything like that again. We all need to ask ourselves two questions:
1.    Do we want our personal crisis solved more than we want God Himself?
2.    Is our goal getting our life together or getting closer to God?

AS I SEE IT
Let’s return to the original question: Are we there yet? It implies that there is an end, a destination. I had been wondering if the “thorn in my side” would ever go away, as if God would one day say, “The test is finally over” and I would learn whether I had passed or failed.

God had to remind me once again that His ultimate purpose in my trials is to bring me closer to Him. Not long ago, I posted an article titled Going to the Dogs. I suggest you read it again. It sets the stage for my conclusion here. I have finally realized that it’s not about “arriving.” It’s all about the journey. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul:

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12).

If the great Apostle Paul had not “arrived,” why should we think that we will? Once again, it’s not about “arriving.” “Arriving” will never happen. It’s all about being joyful in the journey. We are to live in the moment, allowing Christ’s joy to flow through us because of our closeness to Him, not because our trial has ended. We must put our faith to the test and act on what we believe, and since our actions reflect what we really believe, the authenticity of our faith will be exposed. May we all be found faithful.

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
A grenade thrown into a French café would result in Linoleum Blownapart.