Understanding the Journey

Life’s Answers

Life is full of difficulties and hardship, and more so for some then for others. Trying to understand these difficulties and face these hardships leads many to question the purpose for life. Of course, the Bible provides the answers to these questions, assuming man is honest enough with himself to accept them.

Unfortunately, many have tried to explain life without God’s inspired Word in various ways. There is a never ending stream of popular psychologies and platitudes offered to ease the troubles of life. One such platitude is the idea that “life is not the destination, it is the journey”. This idea is broad and vague, and can be interpreted to mean very different things. On one hand it can mean “live life to the fullest” or “take everything you can” in a hedonistic way. On the other hand it can mean “make the most of the time you have” in a pragmatic, and personally enriching way.

An Important Destination

This idea is, while well meaning, very wrong. There is indeed a great importance in the destination of one’s life, primarily in the eternal sense. These words are meant to provide comfort to one who disbelieves in the spiritual world, emphasizing a falsehood that all will end in bleak oblivion, so make the best of what you have. How that is a comfort, I cannot say. Jesus considered man’s destination to be of utmost importance, emphasizing reaching it through what He called “the way” (John 14:6, NASU), and explaining no one gets there without Him (ibid.).

An Important Walk

Of course, it is important not to assume that because the saying is untrue that the inverse of the saying is therefore true. It is no better to say “life is only the destination, not the journey” as our spiritual existence is described as a “walk” (1 John 1), not as a “pleasure cruise to Heaven”. In the New Testament, there is an emphasis on focusing upon the needs (especially the spiritual needs) of today, which is very practical as “today” is the only time you can exercise the power of choice and choose what is spiritually beneficial (Mat. 6:34; Heb. 3:13; et al.).

In a true sense, if we are to examine our life as a journey toward an eventual destination, the only important factor in that journey is whether we have Christ in our life. If we have Christ, we will appreciate life, life each day to its fullest, and reach the best destination.