Have you ever lost your way? Growing up hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping, I’m proud to say that I’ve never been lost. I have, however, been “turned around” a few times. Even though I knew exactly where I was supposed to be—I could point it out on the map—I wasn’t quite sure how to get there, since I didn’t know exactly where I was on the map. I could have gone back the way I came or headed toward a nearby road which would have led me back to where I had started, either solution taking me an hour or two out of my way. But rather than taking the obvious, sure-fire ways out, I opted to wander through the woods for nearly three hours. While I did find my way back, I wasted several hours of my time and my father’s, who was out looking for me.
We do a lot of wandering in the church. While most Christians have a good idea of where they’re going, many find themselves wandering because they are not sure where they are at any given moment. Others wander because they’re not willing to take the steps that will point them in the right direction. Others are afraid to turn away from their current path and head back in the right direction. Many who wander eventually come to a complete stop, paralyzed by their doubts, their fears, or their past.
The good news is that when we focus Jesus, we will head in a simple direction: toward God and heaven. Paul encourages us to head in one direction in Philippians 3:13, 14 where he wrote: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” This means we don’t have to get bogged down in our past. We don’t have to be thrown off track by obstacles and bad choices. We don’t have to come to a stop whenever we lose our way. While the way may not be as easy and direct as we might like, we simply have to head toward Jesus.