But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
-Matthew 24:13
Road trips come in all sorts of distances and destinations. Some trips are taken for pleasure, while others out of necessity. From a vacation to a work related trip, the road holds so many possibilities as well as challenges. One thing they all have in common is a simple travel principle. If you know you are going on a long trip in your vehicle you prepare much differently than if you are simply running to grab some milk and eggs. Or at the least, you should.
From a fresh oil change, to making sure your tires are good to go, how you maintain and prepare your vehicle is vital. You also have a good idea on your route and planning stops are an important component. Depending upon what time of year you are traveling also plays a key role in what you pack or leave at home.
There is just so much more thought that goes into traveling hundreds or thousands of miles than just running around town. The difference comes down to goals. One is groceries, the other is a destination. One is a few minutes, the other is multiple hours or even days.
The goal, or the difficulty of attaining a goal will always determine the effort we put into the process.
That’s easy to see in terms of driving to the store versus driving across the country. But how often might we overlook such a simple principle when it comes to our faith? If we treat our Christian lifestyle like simply driving around town, hopping from one short jaunt to work to a quick stop at the store and then back home, we can quickly lose sight of the much greater destination.
Every born again believer needs to have a much bigger perspective than just our day to day. In fact, it needs to be bigger than week to week or even year to year.
We must be Kingdom minded and that means it’s vital to have an eternal perspective. We are not to live our life limping from one thing to the next, but rather with an understanding that this life is the road to a much more permanent destination. And if preparation is important for our road trips, how much more important is it for our eternity?
Every trip we take inevitably comes with risks, dangers and unexpected events. We cannot specifically prepare for every little issue that we might face, but we can prepare ourselves to endure whatever that might be.
In terms of our faith, that’s a deep and genuine relationship with Christ as our Savior. That takes preparation and maintenance on our part. When our dependence is found wholly in Christ, despite what the road of life throws at us, we can have a confidence that He will never leave us or forsake us. This helps us keep our ultimate destination in focus and that changes how we live day to day.
Jason Metz, lead Pastor
