Getting There by Tim Parkinson
Over the years of our lives, we go through different stages of acquiring and losing or things, relationships, ambitions and hopes.
Some people, in their quest to live what appears to be the perfect life, can never admit (or wish to never admit) they lost something or it got away.
Some people change how that say things, so they wouldn’t have be consider losers, or were losers, or might in the future lose, (is reminiscent of how people don’t have to plead their guilt or innocence in court).
We are all in a process of gaining and losing things.
Opportunities
Family members
Weight
Clutter
…and the list goes on throughout our lives
Concept
The journey to “get there” (let’s call it “the promised land”) is more important than being in the place we desire. If we have this supposition in mind, while we are on this earth,
We can always get some place else, if we are dissatisfied with where we’re currently at.
Let’s try to learn some pointers to help us improve our outlook on life and to challenge us to stay in the “struggle” to “GET THERE”.
Being Satisfied
Many people are unhappy with where they are in life or expected to be at a higher “pay grade” than they are currently.
Dissatisfaction and blaming someone else will not help anyone achieve any life goals. Instead, meditating and planning a goal, no matter how rough or unfocused it might seem at the beginning, is a good way to free yourself from being bound by present circumstances.
From the Book of Wisdom
Proverbs chapters 22:17 through chapter 24 is filled with great words of advice and insight for those young people (or old people) who would take them to heart and act on them. Let’s first consider verse 23:7a,
Pro 23:7a For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he,
Sounds lofty, doesn’t it?
This statement can be interpreted different ways, and has been used to justify various opinions.
But what’s really being said, is found in the CONTEXT.
Pro 23:6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
Pro 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Pro 23:8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Looking at the before and after passages in Proverbs 23, Solomon’s fatherly advice really seems to be saying, “Things are not always as they seem”, “Appearances are deceiving” or in a broader sense, “Trust your life to God, because man’s ways are deceptive”.
When on our journey from “here” to a better “there”, let’s endeavor to ”Fear not” and trust in God’s Spirit to enlighten us as we’re on this journey, but still considering things which “seem promising” in the material world might be deceptive.
Kingly Advice
These scriptures from King Solomon can teach us something, as he was speaking from his personal knowledge and experience.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Pro 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
God chose the path to the Promised Land for the children of Israel to take, because He always knows best and wanted the best for them.
Easy Stages
Exo 13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
Exo 13:18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
God knew that His people, who had been slaves in bondage for 400 yrs, did not have the boldness to be warriors. He did not want them to be discouraged, by the “struggle” before them. He knew
He needed to train them to follow His directions, and to trust in His deliverance.
While the end goal was to get to the promised land, the journey was what was going to change them, so they could face future trials with trust, instead of fear.
It would have been easier for them, if God just destroyed all their opponents and whisked them into their inheritance ASAP.
God could have done that. To cause them to “win the lottery”, so to speak.
Their main problem was that they were still slaves in their minds, even if they reached their desired destination. They couldn’t have held onto their inheritance, like so many lottery winners.
They needed to experience that following God’s commands (or commandments), had a reward for them, which was living in the promised land, but it was their journey that changed them into a better, stronger people. They had more faith in their God, we’re more trusting, more obedient, wiser and closer to each other at the end of their journey.
They learned and adapted, or else they never arrived. Anyone can want to be an astronaut or president, but not everyone will. We must endeavor to adapt to progress in our journey.
Pick a Goal, any Goal
To make it easy for everyone to join in, we’ll choose a valid goal, let’s say it’s being married and having a happy family.
Having a successful career, and house and possessions might appear to be some people’s promised land, but it doesn’t mean they’re truly happy or have peace and contentment.
It’s the journey makes us better people and remember what Solomon said: appearances may be deceiving.
Our goal is to be happy, along with our loved ones.
We’ll use the 5 Ws to aid in understanding happiness is an achievable life goal for us.
1W Who – Me & my spouse and our children, (if applicable) but don’t forget your extended family
2W What – Our goal: happiness, more often than not.
3W When – Considering the happiness of our family should be a daily endeavor and daily actions should be taken to insure it.
We learn to be happy day by day.
4W Where – This is primarily in the home, but would include wherever you and your family is gathered
5W Why – there’s an old saying, “Happy is as happy does”.
Achieving this goal to have long-term happiness depends upon:
1) our daily actions (not by situations or events as they occur).
Our daily actions depend upon:
2) what’s in our hearts to do for others.
What’s in our hearts depends on:
3) who we follow: the spirit man or the carnal man. We can expect a positive outcome, if we:
4) bring positive energy (feelings, thoughts, words, actions) into situations.
If someone contributes negative energy to a situation, even if they might consider it “speaking the truth”, there is little possibility of a positive outcome, don’t be that person.
If we reverse the previous order just stated, to bring positivity,
1) we listen to and follow the spirit man, who:
2) moves our hearts to take actions on:
3) a daily basis to our goal to:
4) have long term happiness.
The Process Works
This process can be used on whatever your life goals might be.
Defining those goals is something that many people don’t do, but rather define their feelings at that particular time. Defined goals are easier to address and achieve.
Personally, I have 3 achievable goals for every day, which I seek to fulfill:
- Learn something new
- Finish something
- Do something for some one else
Like God trained the children of Israel by following the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night, He trains us by speaking to our inner or spirit man to guide us to a righteous path, that we both will be happier, if we take it, but he leaves that choice to us.
Some people never take God’s righteous path and never get to the promised land. They die in the desert.
It’s not because there isn’t a way to get to their goal. It’s because they want to take their own way to get there.
If you take the wisdom from Proverbs to heart, you’ll be Getting There faster (and happier).
Pro 22:17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
Pro 22:18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
Pro 22:19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
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