Are We There Yet?
While driving back from Alberta last week, our three year old son asked several times, "Are we there yet?" It's a question I've heard many times while travelling but when I heard Timmy ask it, I started to think about how it relates to our spiritual lives.
Are we there yet? Well, that depends on your destination. For Timmy, the destination was technically our home in Manitoba but I think he would have been satisfied with anywhere that he could get out of his car seat and run around. This morning when I woke up to a sink full of dirty dishes and a cluttered counter, I definitely wasn't where I wanted to be -in a place where all domestic duties were done! The agitation that began to rise up in me in response to my dishes prodded me to call into question my desired destination. The land where domestic duties are always done doesn't exist BUT there is a place of peace and joy that I can live in right now - the kingdom of God. If I'm "there", then I can proceed to walk through my day joyfully, graciously, and patiently working on the tasks that are before me as an act of worship to my King (see Colossians 3:17).
If the place that we are travelling towards in our spiritual journey is the life where Jesus is reigning as Lord, where God's love, word, and grace are breaking in to our reality, and where we are ever-increasing in our likeness to Christ (see 2 Corinthians 3:17-18), then I believe we can get there.... as we walk by faith.
Is that the final destination? No. There is the home in heaven that Jesus has gone before us to prepare (John 14:1-3) so in that sense, the adventure continues. But we are not alone, the One who we will one day meet face to face goes with us, shepherding, comforting, correcting, and helping so even if we aren't "there" yet, God is "here" which makes all the difference.
Are we there yet? Well, that depends on your destination. For Timmy, the destination was technically our home in Manitoba but I think he would have been satisfied with anywhere that he could get out of his car seat and run around. This morning when I woke up to a sink full of dirty dishes and a cluttered counter, I definitely wasn't where I wanted to be -in a place where all domestic duties were done! The agitation that began to rise up in me in response to my dishes prodded me to call into question my desired destination. The land where domestic duties are always done doesn't exist BUT there is a place of peace and joy that I can live in right now - the kingdom of God. If I'm "there", then I can proceed to walk through my day joyfully, graciously, and patiently working on the tasks that are before me as an act of worship to my King (see Colossians 3:17).
If the place that we are travelling towards in our spiritual journey is the life where Jesus is reigning as Lord, where God's love, word, and grace are breaking in to our reality, and where we are ever-increasing in our likeness to Christ (see 2 Corinthians 3:17-18), then I believe we can get there.... as we walk by faith.
Is that the final destination? No. There is the home in heaven that Jesus has gone before us to prepare (John 14:1-3) so in that sense, the adventure continues. But we are not alone, the One who we will one day meet face to face goes with us, shepherding, comforting, correcting, and helping so even if we aren't "there" yet, God is "here" which makes all the difference.
This is a great post, Tracy. I think you've really caught hold of something important with this line:
ReplyDelete"The land where domestic duties are always done doesn't exist BUT there is a place of peace and joy that I can live in right now - the kingdom of God. If I'm "there", then I can proceed to walk through my day joyfully, graciously, and patiently working on the tasks that are before me as an act of worship to my King." I'll have to dwell on this. And the Bible verses: wow! really deep truths which deserve much consideration/meditation. Thanks!