A few weeks ago, my father sent me an old tape recording of my late grandfather preaching a sermon that was directed to the younger members (High School/College Students) in his church. In it, he told a story that he said changed the way he looks at and perceives life. He called it “The Right Way”.

The story began with a man boarding a bus in Charlotte with the full intention of traveling all the way to Detroit. The man was well aware of the distance between Charlotte and Detroit, so he prepared himself for a long ride. After many hours and many stops, the man eventually reached his destination. He exited the bus and scanned his surroundings. Immediately, the man saw that something was wrong. He saw that he was not in Detroit. In fact, he saw that he was nowhere near Detroit. It wasn’t too long until he found out that he was in Asheville, NC. He, essentially, had wasted many long hours just to end up in, what was pretty much, the same place. He made some progress, but in reality, he didn’t move at all. He wondered what had gone wrong until he finally came to this realization . . . he had taken the wrong bus.

My first time listening through my grandfather’s sermon, I was full of emotion because it was so good to hear his voice again. I knew that he was a minister, but I had never heard him preach before. My second time listening through, that’s when I opened my ears to hear and meditate on what he was trying to tell the younger members.

A lot of us have chosen a career path. Most of us spent our childhood worriless about the stages and life ahead of us. But once we reach high school/college, we kind of have a general idea of what we want to pursue. Some desire to be a nurse or doctor. Some are pursuing a career in acting or the theatricals. Some are pursing a career in the NBA or the NFL (I know all about both of these). Overall, we all have a general idea or drawn out plan that we desire to achieve.

Despite the vision that we possess of our future, it’s impossible to see what lies in the road ahead. We don’t know what kinds of speed bumps, detours, potholes, and signs that we will come across on our journey. However, the end goal is always there. Even though life should be a constant state of improvement and there is always some sort of development we should be experiencing, we all have an idea of the person that we want to be.

“It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”.

Most people have heard this quote, or at least have heard it worded differently but with the same meaning. In many ways, this quote is an inspiration to many people. It helps them to find the motivation to keep going despite any troubles or failures they experience throughout the journey. I know I speak for many when I say that this quote is valid.

However, it is very much possible to go on a long journey, and not go anywhere. It is possible to achieve “success” but not experience fulfillment.

A lot of us are like the man in the story. We hop on a bus intending to arrive somewhere, but end up someplace completely different where we don’t want to be. We end up in Asheville instead of Detroit. We get off the bus and experience unfulfillment. We realize that we took the wrong bus.

When we’re at the bus stop awaiting the right one to arrive, we shouldn’t be focused on the route, how long it will take, or even the destination initially. Instead, our focus should be on the driver. On the one who is responsible for taking us from one place to another. The driving force in each of our lives should be Jesus Christ.

When you enter the bus that’s driven by Jesus and allow Him to drive you, you will end up where you need to be. It’s not guaranteed that it will always be where you want to go, and it’s not guaranteed that it will be an easygoing journey. What is guaranteed, is that you will experience growth and Jesus will take you to places that you could never have imagined.

At the end of my grandfather’s sermon, he said,

“People generally have good desires. They desire happiness, they desire fine family life, they desire competence in their work, respect from their friends, and to live to an old age. But nothing is more common in our consciously held desires and intentions than to achieve good goals. However, after a long time, how many end up finding themselves somewhere else all together?”

Having goals are important and everyone should have them. They are what gives us motivation to keep going and to continue improving.

However, we all need someone to guide and direct us to our goals and more. We all need someone to be at work and to fit all the pieces together along the journey. We all need someone that we can trust to keep us protected and secure as we encounter speed bumps, detours, and potential accidents. We all need Jesus Christ.

Allow Jesus to take the wheel of your life today. Trust that He will not only get you to your destination, but He will carry you even farther and better than that. The best part about it, is that His invitation is extended to everyone. You don’t need any special requirements or conditions.

It doesn’t matter what bus stop you’re at. Jesus will always find his way to pick you up. It’s your choice whether to enter or not.

I encourage you to enter His bus today and allow Him to work through you on your road to reclassification into His family. I encourage you to pray before making any decisions and to include Jesus in them. Put the journey in His hands.

There will be tempting stops along the way. There will be times where you feel like you should exit the bus and finish the journey alone. However, if you stick with Jesus, He promises that no matter what happens, He will bring good to your life.

So, will you allow Jesus to take you The Right Way?

 

Related Bible Verses to Help

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:33)

A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)