My daughter was recently watching a video of a mother and daughter who were going to a True Girl event. The mother and her daughter were wearing their pajamas because that was part of the fun at the event. My daughter made a comment about wondering if they were embarrassed to be wearing their pajamas out in public. I told her I didn’t think they were. We discussed how you don’t feel embarrassed to wear a costume when you are on your way to a costume party.
I then said something that has been lingering in my mind since that moment. I told her, “When you know where you are going, it doesn’t bother you.” What I meant by that was that as long as you know where you are going, you don’t mind looking different. When you know where you are going, you don’t let what people along the way might think stop you. Hmmm. My friend, do you see why this has been lingering in my mind for days now?
I know where I am going. I am headed for a celebration that nothing on this earth could compare to. I am headed to a place where joy shall never end. I am bound for heaven, my friend; I know my destination. So, with this in mind, should I be bothered by the opinions of other people? Should I let it bother me when I am looking different than the world around me? Knowing where I am headed, should these “momentary light afflictions” (2 Cor. 4:17) bother me?
Dear heart, knowing where I am headed should change everything for me. It should change the way I live and the purpose for which I am living. It should also make me want to bring as many people as possible with me. I am not aimlessly wandering through this life. I have a purpose and a destination that I set for me. I say again. My destination is set. I should be walking towards that destination with purpose and intentionality.
When you have a set destination, you do what it takes to reach it. What I mean by that is this. You intentionally choose a path that will help ensure that you reach that destination. I know my destination is heaven, that is an absolute certainty. However, the path I walk until I reach my destination is very important. I know where I am going but I want to complete the work that He has given me (John 17:4) before I make it Home.
The more I think about it, the more I find myself challenged to let go of my fear of people’s opinions, my concerns for what they think, and simply focus on Him. His opinion is the only one that matters. He created me for a purpose, and I want to do my best to fulfill it. I want to focus on what matters. I want to keep my “mind on things above, not on what is on earth” (Col. 3:2). I want to remember where I am headed and let that guide me in my decision-making.
I want to confidently follow wherever He leads, knowing my future is secure in Him. I want to be so focused on following and pleasing Him that I hold the things of this world quite loosely. I want to let go of the desire to seek people’s approval and seek only His. I want to keep my destination at the forefront of my mind while I try to encourage as many people as possible to accept His invitation. I want to reach my destination knowing I did my best to glorify Him.
Beloved, do you know where you are headed? There are only two choices. What is your destination?
Katrina Douglas
