Here We Aren't

When I was a young boy my brother and I sat in the backseat of our family car on road trips. If the trip was long we did what most kids do – we asked our father, “Are we there yet?” I remember the day when my badgering questions came to an end. 

When I asked for the umpteenth time, “Are we there yet?” My dad said in an excited voice, “Here we aren’t!” There was a moment of silence as my brother and I tried to figure out what our father had just said. I sounded like, “Here we are!” but we knew that wasn’t right. Dad turned around and smiled at us and continued driving. It was on that day that we stopped asking the “Are we there yet?” kind of questions and just enjoyed the drive. I was nine years old.

Some of us who follow Jesus can ask the same kind of question. We think the best things in life are at some future destination, always ahead of us. We toss around words like destiny and promise thinking we are not already at those destinations. This continual quest for something more sounds good and can actually appear spiritual, but it can also be a mask that hides our dissatisfaction and a lack of peace.

True spirituality contains the understanding that if your life ended today there is really nothing more for you to gain or accomplish. You possess the greatest gift of unimaginable worth. Your destiny has already been fulfilled for you by Jesus and it is waiting for your arrival in eternity. All the promises you have been given have the word “Yes” written across their face even if you are no longer physically alive to see them fulfilled in this lifetime.

You will know when you have come to this new level of maturity when, in your continual asking God for things you already possess, He gives you an answer similar to the one my earthly father gave to me and you actually understand the answer. Your eternal destination is your destiny. Everything you need to know, do and possess has been given to you in and for this moment. Enjoy the journey. Do the best you can. Rest in His presence. You have already arrived. Knowing that makes for a peaceful journey.