Do you have Destination Addiction? I know that I suffer from this debilitating affliction. What is it, you ask? It’s the idea that the next blessing is in the next job, the next conference, the next place, the next (fill in the blank). It’s the idea that happiness and the blessings of God are always just ahead.
The problem with this idea is that we end up missing what God wants to do in the now, right here at this moment because we are always focused on what we think is just ahead. This is something that I have struggled with for most of my life. Always waiting for my number to come up, always waiting for that one moment when God finally says, “now”.
While I was always looking at the horizon for my ship to come in, I missed the very things that God wanted me to see, know and have in the now.
So many in the body of Christ are like this, especially in the Charismatic/Pentecostal stream, in which I’ve spent most of my life in. We are always waiting for our blessing, registering for that next conference or seminar, thinking that the next slap of oil on our foreheads is what is going to push us to the next level. Sermon after sermon, conference after conference on “going to the next level.”
What if God is in the ordinary? What if God is in the mundane details of our ordinary lives? What if we could see the sacred in the routine?
What is Destination Theology?
Destination theology is simply the idea that God wants us to get somewhere. Back in the 90’s one popular phrase was, “I have a destiny”. The idea is that each person had a calling or a place to fulfill. My destiny (or destination) was to become a Senior Pastor.
I arrived at my destination in February of 2004 at the age of 33. I had finally made my destination. I remember very distinctly one of the first days in the office as a Senior Pastor, I looked around the office and said, “Now what?”. I had arrived but I still had things to do.
Most Christians are focused on heaven being their destination. Through the years I’ve heard expressions like:
- If you were to die tonight, do you know if you would go to heaven or hell?
- Do you know where you will spend eternity?
- Are you on your way to heaven?
That’s good for when I die, but what about now? I am not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned about where we spend eternity but that’s for when I die. I plan on living for a while before then. Heaven isn’t doing me any good right now.
I don’t believe that God wants us to focus on a destination. Rather, he wants us to focus on a direction.
Directional Theology
In John 14:1-6, Jesus is telling his disciples that he is going away to prepare a place for them. He is going to bring them to the place. He even tells them that they know where he is going. However, Thomas says, “We don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way.”
Jesus replies to Thomas’ question: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell him where heaven is (the destination and the place most believe Jesus was talking about). He tells Thomas that he is the Way.
The way indicates direction, not destination. We have a destination but the way to that destination is the key focal point. In this passage, Jesus takes Thomas’ focus off the destination and puts it on the direction, which is Jesus.
The way signifies a journey. The Christian life is a journey, not so much in getting to heaven but in becoming more Christ-like. If heaven is the goal, then why doesn’t God allow people to die shortly after their born-again experience? Wouldn’t that be simpler if heaven is the main point? I think that God is interested in us living life as human beings, which he created us to be. It’s about being transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.
Thomas asked Jesus to show us the way, otherwise, we don’t know how to get there (v. 5). Jesus didn’t tell them the where, he told them the Who. I believe that we need to stop focusing on the where and start focusing on the Who.
Far too many Christians are waiting on the destination (heaven) while missing out on the adventure of the journey. They focus on the “mansion” but not the way to the “mansion”.
Waiting on the destination is a cop-out for being responsible to bring forth the kingdom. Our goal as Christians is to colonize earth to look like heaven (Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven). We can’t do that if we are sitting around waiting for Jesus to return to take us to heaven.
Jesus – Follow Me
In Matthew 4:18-22 we have the story of Jesus walking along and calling some fisherman to follow him. They left their business to follow him.
Jesus never told them where they were going. He just said, “follow me.”
Jesus doesn’t give any details about the journey, nothing about what lies ahead. I would want to know details of where we are going, what’s the cost, and how long is it going to take. Jesus doesn’t answer those type of questions. He just simply says “follow me.”
Therein lies Directional Theology. Directional Theology is the idea that we are following Jesus on a journey of his choosing and his direction. It’s not about getting somewhere as much as it is about getting (understanding) the Who. We will get somewhere but the where isn’t important, it’s the Who that is.
You see, it’s our faith in Christ that secures our destination, but it’s the journey with him that transforms us into whom we are supposed to be by the time we get to where we are going.
Following Jesus means that you are allowing Him to be in charge and lead the journey (not my will, but yours be done). It’s allowing him to set the course and direction and being okay with just not knowing all the details.
Following Jesus is all about partnering with what he is doing, even when it includes those pesky interruptions. Jesus never got bothered by interruptions because he knew where he was going and that he would still get there on time. For him it was the way, the journey, that was the important part.
Jesus led his first disciples on a path of serving people. He was always serving and helping others. He was always making people feel loved, valued, and accepted.
Jesus led his first disciples on a journey that resulted in him being crucified. That wasn’t the expected outcome they had when he said, “Follow me.”
He leads them on a journey to death. I think that’s why Jesus doesn’t give us information when he calls each of us to follow him. If he would have told me all that was going to happen to me when he called me at 13 I don’t think I would have said yes. I think I would have stuck to my original plan of going into law.
Each of the original disciples (and many more) died in their following of Jesus. The majority of the church in America knows nothing of persecution and is not willing to die for their faith in Christ. But there are still many deaths that happen along our journey.
Jesus leads us on a path of suffering, death, and resurrection. God will often give you a vision or a dream of what he wants you to do for him. Then, somewhere along the way, he might just ask you to give up that dream. He might ask you to sacrifice it. Do we want the dream or the dream giver?
Other times, life just happens and things don’t work out the way we want them to. That’s very much a death. There are so many Christians with failed dreams, crushed hopes, and broken lives that are following Jesus. Some have just quit and are waiting to go to heaven when they die. Some are wishing that their dreams come alive again but their hopes are fading away.
The good news is that if something dies, God can resurrect it! We must answer the question: “are we willing to follow Jesus even if it means that things within our lives die?”. Are we willing to give our lives in order to follow him?
What are we willing to die to, in order for God to resurrect us for?
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