In 2004, British actors Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman decided to ride their motorcycles from London to New York City.聽
They documented the entire thing and then created a show that they called Long Way Round. Interestingly, the program contained very little footage detailing their ride across Europe or North America.聽Instead, it focused on their struggle to cross Mongolia and eastern Russia, which was the most difficult part of their journey.聽
Several times, they considered quitting or skipping particularly tough sections, but then refused.聽They knew that, for the journey to be complete, they had to ride all of it. The destination was important, but so too was how they got there.聽In the end, because of what they learned and how they grew, they found that the difficult sections were the best and most memorable parts.
When it comes to spiritual things, it is easy to think destination. Most people believe that faith is simply about going home, but that is only half of the story.聽The journey is important too. Jesus proves that right at the start of his ministry.聽
In Matthew 4:1-11, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.聽He is faced with three temptations, each of which, at their core, say, 鈥淭here is no need to suffer. Here is a short cut that can get you the end result.鈥澛燗t each point, Jesus refuses and commits himself to the much more difficult path of self-sacrifice, service and the cross.聽
It should not surprise us, then, that Jesus鈥� first sermon starts off by saying, 鈥淏lessed (or 鈥渨ell off鈥�) are the poor in spirit鈥� those who mourn鈥� the meek鈥� those who hunger and thirst for righteousness鈥� the peacemakers鈥� the persecuted and the insulted鈥� (Matthew 5:1-11).聽
These people are blessed, not because their lives are easy, but because, by God鈥檚 power, they have taken their hardships and used them for something good.聽Their troubles have caused them to grow and have taught them lessons that could be gained in no other way.
I do not know what you are facing today, but I do know this: there are no short cuts. Trying to avoid pain and hardship only makes things worse.聽However, when we learn to walk with and trust God, our troubles can become our blessings.
Godliness is found when we commit to the long way round.
