Online Articles
Where Are We Headed?
I’m sure we all agree it would be unusual for any one of us to awake tomorrow, hop in the car and drive off with no destination in mind. It might even be a stranger occurrence for us to drop by the ticket counter at Hobby Airport and purchase a ticket for a flight to nowhere in particular, or climb aboard a ship at the Port of Houston headed to an unknown land, sailing along an unknown route. We would not take the above actions because we want to know where we are headed and how we are going to get there. And in this age of technology we have all sorts of electronic information at our fingertips to find our direction and keep us on track.
But what about planning our eternal destination and being certain about our spiritual priorities? Where are you headed in this journey through life?
1) Are we choosing the correct route and how we plan to travel?
You can’t be two places at once, except in science fiction. It’s pretty tough to get to England by car and if you try to go to Dallas by way of New York you may miss your meeting. In Matt. 6:33, Jesus told His followers to “seek first the kingdom of God,” which leaves no doubt about our priorities and our direction.
We have to be careful about distractions that will divert us from our destination – take us in the wrong direction. It is easy to lose our focus, as Jesus warns in Matt. 6:24, “No man can serve two masters...he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” Don’t let worldly distractions make you miss the most important destination. Being distracted behind the wheel can be deadly - spiritual distraction can effect the eternal destination of our soul. We need to appreciate the words of Paul in Col. 3:1, “...set your mind (keep your focus) on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”
We have to make Jesus a priority to get where we should go.
2) Are we demonstrating and teaching others how to navigate on this journey?
Can those around us - family, friends, and coworkers - see where we are headed? Or do they think we are just traveling with the crowd - on that broad path that leads to destruction? Jesus admonishes us in Matt. 5:16 to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our actions and words need to be such that we not only save ourselves, but also bring others to Christ. And this concern about our spiritual direction should begin at a young age - 1 Tim. 4:12 - “let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.”
What do others think about your path through life? Are we striving to show others what is right and paying close attention to our effect on others? We must be a proper example to others. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...discerning the will of God” (Rom. 12:2).
Being a good example and striving to teach others keeps us on the right path.
3) Are we seriously concerned about the direction we are going?
If we don’t pay attention to directions and road signs we generally end up in the wrong place. Heb. 2:1 - “Therefore we must give the most earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” A pilot must direct his plane and a captain must steer his ship. As the prophet Jeremiah stated, “... O Lord, the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23).
It takes planning and purpose to get where we should be headed -it will not happen by accident. As the Lord said to the church at Laodicea in Rev. 3:15, “...because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” We cannot carelessly go through life, but must follow God’s revealed directions for us to get where we should be. The Hebrew writer admonished the early Christians to, “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).
We must stay concerned about where we are headed on our life’s journey.
Where are we headed? We should be headed in the way that Jesus and his apostles teach us - the way of salvation. “Come to Jesus,” as our one-year plan encourages. If we are focused on Christ, living according to his righteous example, and making an effort to follow his directions we will be headed to heaven!
