Introduction
“And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.” (Jeremiah 45:5) ESV
Life is a journey. There are many roses along the way that we should stop and smell. However, there are also many dog piles we can step into if we are not careful. A journey that is not Christ-centered is a journey to destruction, a journey not worth living, a wasted life. How do we walk this journey and make it worthwhile, make it count, make it have value, make it eternal? What do we leave behind in the hearts and minds of our loved ones and friends? I hope to answer these questions in this paper without stepping into any dog-piles.
Life
Life is a beautiful gift. To read my paper about this gift click here. I don’t want to repeat myself but to mention that this life is a journey whereby we start at point A, our birth, and move on to point B, our death. What we do along the way is important. It will determine whether or not our life is worth living. Do you understand these words spoken by Jesus?
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) ESV
The Walk
This journey begins at birth. In the beginning, we are led down a path by our parents or a guardian who holds our hand. If we are fortunate enough to have a good parent or guardian, that follows the way of Christ, our beginnings are fairly smooth. We are young and have not sown much therefore we are not reaping much. The road we walk on, although it may be rough, is easier because our guardian will teach us how to walk in a fashion that has value to ourselves and others. If by chance our guardian is not Christ-centered the road we walk on may be very rough. In beginning the skills we are taught and the manner we walk come from our teachers. Everybody is a teacher. Click here for that teaching. I also mention this in other documents. We reach an age, however, where we are accountable for our actions. We alone choose the path we walk on. We can not blame this on our parents, early teachers, genes, hormones, or anything else. Responsibilities are ours alone. They belong to no one else. Good people come from bad families and bad people come from good God-fearing, families. The life we lead and the journey we take is one of our choosing. If we choose to lead a bad life, die, and go before God we can not say “It wasn’t my fault”. The journey you take and the path you walk on is always your choice and your fault. In this regard, you either walk alone or you walk with Christ. The Bible has much to say about this journey.
“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you (on your journey), and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) TPT
“In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with him! Your spiritual roots go deeply into his life as you are continually infused with strength, and encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!” (Colossians 2:6-7)
Stop and Smell the Roses
This idiom was first coined by a famous golfer by the name of Walter Hagen. In a book he wrote he said, “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” It’s an admonition to: Stop what you are doing and enjoy life, don’t rush, slow down, and so forth. To read, Take Your Time click here. I think of it as a decree for patience in our lives. Patience is not just waiting for something to happen, it requires slowing down for every task of your life. These tasks include doing, thinking, and speaking. Life is difficult. Learning how to enjoy it takes work and time.
“He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name.” (Psalms 23:2-3) TPT
“Every gift (all roses) God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change.” (James 1:17) TPT
Time
We have all the time we need for this journey. Otherwise, why would God give us 24 hours in a day and tell us to do something that takes 30 hours? THINK! If you don’t have time you must be doing something God does not want you to do. Despite the goal in Jesus’ life, I believe He took time to smell the roses. This is reflected in His words about the “lilies of the field”, “birds of the air”, the beatitudes, and more. I do not believe, as I used to, that His life was stoic and only full of prayer, suffering, and wise sayings controlled by His Father in Heaven.
The Middle Roads of Our Journey
The middle roads of our journey are perhaps the most meaningful. They are full of good times and bad times, roses and dog piles. What we have been taught affects this walk to a great extent. Today everyone is in a hurry. I am continuously looking at the final product, the destination, and not enjoying the walk it took to get there. We all are taught to “hurry up and get it done”. “Time is money” we are told. Is money your goal? If so, you may want to consider a Christ-centered goal whereby our focus is always on Him. No one can enjoy their journey living any other way. This attitude of always hurrying it up and getting it done shows a lack of patience and interferes with our ability to enjoy life. It also interferes with our health. I can think of numerous people, even in my family, I have told to “Slow Down”. They all think they have but none have gotten the point and some have even driven themselves to poor health. This attitude is ungodly, unfaithful, and unproductive. Although those involved think otherwise. Remember Machilovelli’s words “The end justifies the means”? These are dangerous grounds for living.
“The best way to live (walk in this journey) is with revelation-knowledge, for without it, you’ll grow impatient and run right into error (dog piles).” (Proverbs 19:2) TPT
Dog Piles
I have stepped in many by not taking the time to smell the roses and being in a rush. The attitude of “I want it and I want it now”, comes from this and has caused me many problems. Other dog piles were thrown at me by others. Persecution and maltreatment for example. And, there are other things that we may perceive as “dog piles” but are not. They fall into the category of “troubles” and “adversity”. Some of these were even placed on our path and/or allowed by God Himself. They were there to cause us to think, work out, build our Spiritual muscles, and build our faith. God does not “rush” you through these obstacles. They are there to teach you but we must have discernment to distinguish one from the other. Is this God or the Devil? Have you ever read in the Bible where Jesus was in a hurry or was late except by His design? Never.
The End of Our Journey
I’m 81+ years old. During these last days of my journey, I’m finally beginning to look at things differently. When we are young we are often blinded by the things of the world.
“Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25) ESV
It has taken me time for me to learn to stop and smell the roses. I’m enjoying my blogs and the time it takes to write them. When I find myself under pressure to get one done I stop and slow down. I’ve recently taken up refinishing furniture. Stripping, sanding, sealing, staining, repeat, finish coating, etc. takes time. You can’t rush it or it will look like a dog pile. I do watch TV. It’s not all bad. I love taking long rides to nowhere with my wife. Why did it take me so long to get to this point and learn how to relax??
“For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) ESV
Such beautiful words on life and our journey were written by Solomon himself. He also wrote:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) ESV
Death
Death is an absolute no one wants to talk about. (Click here to read more about absolutes.) But it is the actual end of our journey on earth. The only preparation you can have for death is to know what’s going to happen to you when you die. Do you die in Christ or not? You must ask yourself, “How do I know I’m in Christ?” The answer is easy. Are you born again? Have you “walked the walk”? What kind of fruit have you produced? Are you continuously walking with a contrite life? If you can answer these questions in the affirmative your destination after death is assured. It is life eternal with Jesus Christ and your loved ones who have gone before you. Your journey on earth ends and you begin a new and everlasting journey in heaven.
My Legacy
What happens when you are gone? Have you left something behind? A legacy is what you pass on to others, especially your children. I wrote a note on this also. It’s under Miscellaneous and called “A Father’s Gift”. Not my words but appropriate and my legacy non-the-less (click here)
After you’ve walked this journey. After you’ve walked through many dog piles, what do you leave behind? Anything at all? It’s a sad journey if you leave nothing. The Bible has a lot to say about leaving an inheritance to your children and grandchildren. This inheritance is not always money.
“And now here I am, ready to come to you for the third time, and I still refuse to be a burden to you. For what I want is your hearts, not your money. After all, children should not have to accumulate resources for their parents, but parents do this for their children.” (2 Corinthians 12:14) TPT
“For if a believer fails to provide for their relatives when they are in need, they have compromised their convictions of faith and need to be corrected, for they are living worse than the unbelievers.” (1 Timothy 5:8) TPT
Conclusion
Life is a journey indeed. Unfortunately, many are on a journey choosing the way of the world rather than Christ. These unfortunate souls are under various addictions and false hopes. They think they are smelling the roses but they are smelling dog piles. They don’t know the difference. We Christians need to reach out to them and show them, first by example, that there is another way, another journey they can walk that is much more pleasant and rewarding.
Enough said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16 ESV)
