Larger than Life

We recently undertook a long car journey from Scotland to England, which ordinarily is not a problem. However, this journey was different as the UK was, as the TV would report it, in the grip of ‘the Big Freeze’.

Before our journey we had been led to believe that the roads were treacherous and that all travel would be dangerous. Yet the truth was the roads weren’t that bad, although certain sections needed careful navigation and driving through them was hard work. As we approached the more difficult sections of roads we found ourselves asking, “What are we doing? We should have stayed at home.” Yet only a short time later we were back to the clear roads that allowed us to travel safely at reasonable speeds.

We often refer to our Christian lives as a journey, which it is. It’s a journey that many would advise us not to embark upon; citing all the reasons why it could be difficult. I firmly believe one of the enemy’s most successful strategies is to make himself seem bigger than he really is and to make things seem harder than they are.

Yes, there will be difficult times in our lives. Yes, we will have to slow our journey down incredibly to navigate a safe course through it. Yet if we want to get to the end of our journey we’ll have to keep moving. The enemy would love to concern us with the dangers ahead and try to put us off moving on. Even along the way it may feel as though we’ll never see a clear road again and we may ask the question, “What am I doing?” But there’s a clear road ahead and patient perseverance is what’s needed to push through.

It’s true that some people get genuinely stuck on their life journeys – just as many in the UK got stuck on snowy and icy roads. They need to seek God and ask for His timing and perspective – maybe even wait for Him to clear the road ahead of them so that they can keep going. If we’d believed the media hype we’d still be at home, missing Christmas with our families. Equally, if we believe the exaggeration of the enemy about the difficulties on our life journeys then we’ll never move into the destiny God has for each one of us.

When we consider the hindrances to our life journey let’s not allow the enemy to become larger than life, and let’s ask God for His perspective on our situation. Then, as the Scripture says, “let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us”.

Prayer: Father God, I recognise that You alone can see my life’s pathway and I pray that You’ll encourage me on my journey with You. I pray You’ll clear the paths ahead of me and that I won’t be discouraged by the whispers of the enemy. Amen.