And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
John 17:3 (NLT)
Every few years, my family and I are able to scrape together just enough money to take a destination vacation. What’s a destination vacation? It means you’re going to a specific place for a specific purpose. A couple of years ago, that destination was none other than Disneyland. Yup, we spent hundreds of dollars to stand in line for 14 hours per day so that we could ride some rides, eat some overpriced food, and bake in the Southern California summer sunshine. The rides are pretty cool, the theming is fantastic, and there’s music everywhere you go. It’s a lot to take in, but overall, it’s a lot of fun. In fact, Disneyland’s motto is “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
But, over the years of vacation, both with my family and when I was a kid, here’s what I’ve discovered. Vacations aren’t necessarily fun because of the destination, it’s because of the people you’re with. Yeah, the roller coaster was exhilarating, but laughing with your son or daughter about the time you almost threw up on the corkscrew loop is the memory. Or, maybe getting stuck on It’s a Small World, and enduring that song for an hour. You don’t remember the ride. But, you remember shaking your head and talking about the horror with your friend who was on the ride with you. In short, what makes vacations great are the people you enjoy them with.
Often times in our faith life, we look to the destination, which is Heaven. And, don’t get me wrong, Heaven is going to be unbelievably amazing! But, our Christianity isn’t about the destination; it’s about the One you spend time with. In case you missed it, I capitalized the word “One.” That’s because I’m talking about Jesus. Our life must be about enjoying the time we have with our Savior. It’s the stories of the journey we’ve experienced together. It’s the time spent laughing and/or crying together. It’s remembering how Jesus was with us when… Eternity isn’t about the destination. Eternity isn’t a place; it’s an individual named Jesus.
Today, embrace our verse today, “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” Enjoy the journey with Jesus.
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