There's a concept found in Isaiah 35, a promise for the saints of God in the future, but which I believe can also describe the spiritual journey upon which we are travelling, indicative of the type of life that the Lord would desire for us to lead:
8A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray.9No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there,10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
This is the type of life that is promised for eternity for the children of God, but I do think that God wants us to walk in a "Highway of Holiness" each day. If we are walking in holiness, abiding in Christ, we can experience the power of God to resist the temptations that would get us off track. And, we have a component of worship in our lives, full of thanksgiving in our hearts and experiencing joy and gladness. The Lord has ordained a journey for us, and He wants us to travel with Him on a spiritual road on which we are abiding in His life.
God is calling us to walk with Him on the pathway to righteousness, the way to life. Our lives are journey, and we are travelers through this earth - it is important that we are seeking to follow His ways. Proverbs 12:28 provides encouragement:
28In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.
On this Monday following the annual ritual known as Spring Break for many families in our listening area, I think the timing is good to reflect on our attitudes toward - travel! Are you still recovering from your recent travel, if you indeed took a trip? Do you enjoy travel? Would you consider yourself to be happy while you travel?
Well, there's a survey that was released a couple of weeks ago that traces the connection between travel and happiness. It's called the Road to Happiness Study, and identifies 4 primary ingredients needed to enjoy a happy travel experience. In fact, 97% of travelers report being very or exceptionally happy when their vacation had these components.
Travel company Monograms and author Shawn Achor unveiled the results, according to a press release on PRNewswire.com.
Based on survey results, to create the best travel experience, one must:
Minimize stress. When asked about their best trips, only 4 percent (4%) of people reported feeling stressed. Conversely, on their worst trips, stress played a big role for more than 60 percent of people. Specifically, the biggest vacation stressors were: wasting time figuring things out (28%), being unfamiliar with the destination (25%), and managing transportation (21%).
Plan ahead. If you want a happy vacation, check spontaneity at the door. According to Achor, "Our new research revealed that the best – and happiest – vacations for 90% of people were those planned more than one month in advance. Planning ahead reduces stress and increases the opportunity to anticipate the getaway. And anticipation offers a great happiness advantage."
Make a local connection. On their best trips, 78% of travelers knew a knowledgeable friend in the destination or met with a local guide. Achor says that, "When you meet-up with a local guide or someone you know, you are better able to connect with the destination. And creating a connection with people and places, cultures and histories, allows us to open our minds and increase our chances of experiencing happiness."
Go far & away. Monograms' Road to Happiness Study with Shawn Achor also revealed that 85% of travelers' best trips over the past five years were in locations outside their home country.
The Road to Happiness results indicate that when travelers vacation the right way, adopting these ingredients, 93% of them enjoyed more energy after returning from their trip.
I hope that you are getting re-acclamated to being back from your spring break vacation, if indeed you did some travel recently. In attempting to make a spiritual connection here, I wanted to see if these travel tips could provide some direction on our spiritual journey.
As for minimizing stress, that's a huge factor in the Christian life. God offers us His peace that passes all understanding and invites us to enter into His rest. If we are abiding in Christ, we can resist fear and anxiety and truly learn to enjoy His presence. Stress can distract us from the relationship that God desires to have with us.
Next, there's the component of planning ahead - you could call that intentionality. If we are not planning our time wisely, allowing the Lord to guide our steps, then we may miss out on the opportunities He provides for us each day to experience Him more fully and to glorify Him. It's been said that if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. His Holy Spirit is available to manage our lives, as we relinquish our will to Him.
How about making a local connection? The Christian life can grow in community. That's why the church is so important - not only do we attend church to worship God and to hear His Word proclaimed, but we have the ability to connect with fellow believers and to grow in relationship with others.
Finally, the travel expert says that the most pleasurable vacations are outside one's home country. I think this can speak to us about travelling outside our comfort zones. Sometimes we can become complacent or locked into our lives and may miss what God is calling us to experience. We never want to be so settled in that we settle for a life that is beneath what God wants for us.
So, enjoy the spiritual journey - the Lord is faithful to travel with us in this life, and desires to produce His joy and fruitfulness as we abide in His love.
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