The Journey Is Long, but Here’s Why It’s Worth It

Since I live outside of town, it takes more than half an hour to get to the grocery store, my church, or a nice restaurant.

It’s not your boring get-in-the-car-and-go kind of journey. There are potholes, animals begging to become roadkill, sharp turns, and unsafe drivers.

And if I wanted to avoid the danger?

I could, technically, get some junk food from the nearby gas stations, live stream a sermon, enjoy the plentiful tree bark, and call it good.

So why bother with all the hassle?

Because I’d rather make a delicious meal than eat stale chips, be in a community than be talked at, and enjoy something other than tree bark. It’s well worth the time to drive into the city because what we have here is like garbage in comparison. It might be easier, but is it enjoyable?

Jesus’ Offer

If you’re a true believer in Christ, you’ll live with Him forever. But far too often, we lose focus, and like the man who decided to build bigger barns (Luke 12:13–21), we invest our time into stockpiling things that won’t last for eternity. We chase career success, influencer fame, and a perfect image instead of sharing the Gospel, giving up ourselves, and living for Jesus. It feels easier.

Much like the sinful world, junk food, live-streamed sermons, and tree bark aren’t healthy or sustainable. Jesus offers eternal life, something far better than any restaurant I’ve been to, no matter how heavenly the food is.

Instead, He invites you to join Him at a feast He prepared. Afterward, He hands over the coupon that gets you unlimited, one-hundred-percent free groceries.

The Journey Takes Intentionality

Chances are, your car can’t instantly zap you to any location. Taking a trip requires intentionality and planning. Before even starting the vehicle, you check your energy levels, make sure the car is in tip-top shape, and tap the fuel gauge.

Once you hit the road, you must head in the right direction. You can’t turn left instead of right, and you probably shouldn’t keep going straight when the GPS is demanding that you take a U-turn.

Following Jesus also requires intentionality. It requires focus. You’ll be late to the feast if you aimlessly putter up and down streets (Colossians 3:2).

Don’t Leave Your Map Behind

If you leave your map behind, no amount of hard work or intentionality will be able to get you anywhere worthwhile. You might see a few picture-worthy sights, but what are you aiming for?

God gave us a map for our lives. It’s called the Bible, and you can get it in paper and digital versions.

Don’t leave it behind.

Think of it like a map, the roadsigns, or your headlights on a pitch-black night. It shows you how to respond to an unkind neighbor, handle anxiety, and love God. You can unfold its stories to soak in its goodness or navigate the darkest and narrowest alleys.

When You Wind Up on the Wrong Road (Again)

When you realize you’ve taken a wrong turn while driving, you’ll probably do one of three things: turn around, find a new route, or choose a new destination.

If you don’t notice you took the wrong turn, it’ll take more time, effort, and navigational skills to find your original destination.

Sometimes while walking with God, turning around is all it takes to right the wrong turn.

Other times, your idol becomes a habit that feels impossible to break. You might head in the right direction, take another wrong turn, and have to find the route again.

Sin has a way of doing that.

But don’t give up.

Stay Faithful

Maybe you’re traveling on an unmarked and unfamiliar road. It has a patchwork of potholes, a plethora of animal crossing and falling rocks signs, and you hit every stop light on this side of the country.

But what if your map is leading you here?

Keep going. The feast is waiting.

The potholes, unfamiliar roads, and U-turns are well worth the effort it takes once we reach our final destination.

That day is coming soon.

So let us run—er, drive?—with endurance the race—um, road—set out for us.