“I find the great thing in this world is, not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Leaves of Gold, pg. 12)
In my former life, it was essential to know that you were headed in the right direction. For those who don’t already know, my “former life” involved work as a professional driver. Not the NASCAR or Formula 1 kind, but the “roll on eighteen wheeler” kind. When I was in school to learn the trade, a major component of the training was map reading. Sure, we had to learn how to operate the equipment, but knowing how to get to a destination was essential to the trade. What value would a driver be if he/she couldn’t actually get the freight to its destination? It is important to be able to drive the truck, but equally important to know if the truck is headed the right direction.
Lent is a season that invites us to ask, “Am I headed the right direction?” When we come into a relationship with Jesus Christ, there is a process of growth that begins. Regardless of our chronological age, we all come to Christ as infants. No one comes to Christ already having spiritual maturity, although we might mistakenly believe so by confusing spiritual maturity with natural maturity. Our life in Christ, no matter when it starts, is a journey that should move us from infancy into spiritual golden years.
There are a number of scriptures that reflect this truth. Consider these words from Hebrews: “though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again” (Heb. 5:12). The apostle Peter writes, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). In one way or another, many other passages like these point to the reality that God expects us to “grow up” in our faith.
There is a saying: “Growing older is mandatory; growing up is optional.” Spiritually speaking, you will never have to reflect on your life if all you plan to do is grow older. If, however, you plan to grow up, you will need to regularly check to see if you are headed the right direction. This is not difficult to do, as the Bible offers ample description of what a righteous life looks like. In the process of doing these spiritual checks, it might be easy to get discouraged if we discover we have not yet attained the peak of spiritual maturity. Instead, I pray we would be encouraged if the evidence suggests we are at least headed the right direction.
Imagine that I am trying to get to El Paso. My maps app tells me that is a trip of 685 miles. If I am on Interstate 20 at mile marker 512, I know I have a long way to go. Nevertheless, if I am traveling in the westbound lanes, I know I am pointed in the right direction. In that, I can be encouraged.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 