The man who loves walking will walk further than the man who loves the destination
so what's happened along that process you've learned to love the journey
right you love the journey man when you love the journey the goals just happen that the you hit
milestones as a side effect I love the journey what is the journey consist of failing getting
better learning start a new journey start it over do it again when you fall in love with
the journey everything else takes care of itself falling in love with the goal and the destination
you will be disappointed if you do that if you fall in love with and by the way life is
a journey so really it's the only long it's the only long-term approach is to fall in love with
the journey because if if you fall in love with the destination you hit that destination you're
going to be sorely disappointed it's gonna be very sad you're going to finish your race maybe
even get first place get your trophy and then you're like okay what do I do now but if you love
the journey who cares I'm gonna I'm gonna stay on this journey this whole this entire time so
it's if this is something you want to do for the rest of your life that's the only way to do it
the the ideal situation is for those destinations that happen as a side effect of the fact that you
love the process life is not really about the destination it's about how we live all along
the way and it's easy to become so goal oriented and so focused on our dreams that we overlook the
simple things that we should be enjoying we have to realize life is a journey there's no
such thing as the finish line once you accomplish this dream God will give you another dream when
you overcome this challenge there'll be another challenge there's always another mountain to climb
if we make the mistake of just living for the destination we'll look up one day and realize
we've missed out on the biggest part of life because most of life is routine most of us get
up every morning go to work come home eat dinner go to bed and do it again there are very few
mountaintops where you graduate from school or you get married or have a child or go on vacation the
high times are few and far between but many people are living for the mountaintops they're so focused
on their promotion that they work night and day they don't really enjoy their family they're so
stressed raising their children they don't enjoy their children they're so caught up in getting
out of a problem their life goes by in a blur we've got to slow down and learn to enjoy the
journey enjoy the journey not the destination a lot of us delay our happiness when I get to this
level when I get my degree when I get the kids when I get married I'm going to be happy enjoy
the journey enjoy the whole step the whole process every day that you get up to strive for whatever
it is you're after you can learn to enjoy your journey don't be so frustrated about when you're going
to reach your destination that you never enjoy the journey the journeys in life take a lot
longer than that little bit of time when you reach a destination and I've got news for you when you
reach the destination you're headed for now you'll rest there a short period of time and you'll head
off for something else in your life because God has created us to be goal oriented we're always
heading toward something we're reaching we're stretching we're growing so if we can't enjoy
the going toward it they're only going to have a few moments of joy in our whole life
how many of you don't enjoy being faced with challenges things that are hard to do how many
of you find yourselves putting that stuff off trying to avoid it as long as you can
try to get out from under from doing it you're looking at things the wrong way
instead of trying to find an easy comfortable way to do the things that are hard
and need to be hard to be done right to begin with learn to love
right now learn to love hard stuff in your life don't want things easy
build up your integrity in a way where you enjoy doing hard things
that you're not always looking for the easy way out
in your life it is the journey the work that you do towards your goals that will always
be more fulfilling than finally reaching that you will never get the same pop once you reach
a goal as you do along the way with the challenges see we're always focused on the destination the
dream coming to pass the problem turning around life is not about the destination it's about
the journey that's where you'll grow that's where you'll see fulfillment the favor of God
because after you reach this goal there'll be another goal there'll be another challenge
if we're not careful we'll rush through the day trying to get to the destination
slow down and enjoy the journey yes there will be bumps in the road disappointments things you don't
understand that's where you have to say I'm not looking back I'm not getting bitter and letting
that sour my life I'm not going to live worried wondering how it's going to work out I'm going to
stay in the present I'm going to enjoy where God has me right now knowing that he will get me to
where I'm supposed to be God is going to get you to your destiny he's going to work out all things
for your good and while you're waiting when you don't see anything happening things aren't turning
around trust him enough to enjoy your life see the good in each day be grateful for what you have the
song says it's a beautiful day don't let it get away once we live this day we can't get it back
are you living it in tomorrow focused only on your dreams are you living it in yesterday focused on
what didn't work out when all the while God has you at this place for a reason there's
a blessing in disguise there's someone you can connect with there's a test that you can pass
don't get 20 years down the road and see it all come together and have to say wow I spent so much
of my life worried not enjoying my family mad at the people that did me wrong let it go it's all
a part of the process these are tests we have to pass we can get to our destination enjoying the
journey seeing God's favor despite the opposition or we can get there worried sour upset I'm asking
you to live in the present one day at a time yes it's good to have goals keep your vision in
front of you but don't let what hasn't happened frustrate you make up your mind you're going to
enjoy each day enjoy your family enjoy the people you work with enjoy the beauty of creation take
time to smell the roses all through the day it's good to take a few deep breaths and just breathe
in God's goodness breathe in where you are not trying to rush through this part of the day and
get to the next but take time to enjoy the present the best news you'll ever receive is this that God
has a plan for your life and I want you to every person look at me right here look really good
just pay really close attention I don't care how you feel today but God has a plan for you
but while God has a plan God also has a process and that process is needed because if he brings
us straight into our purpose straight into our promise straight into our destiny we may not
be able to handle it emotionally physically financially spiritually and you know young
people you've you've heard God's promise and his plan you uh mom you you heard God's
promise grandmother you heard God's promise you're saying when is it going to come to
pass listen before the promise happens there is a process that we've got to submit our lives to
and that process isn't to harm us that process is to develop us
so that we can handle what's coming here's what I've noticed is that there's something I don't know how to
do I said hey I don't know how to do this he said don't worry about it you don't know how to do it
then you do it then you know how to do it that's kind of how it works little by little until you
look back and you see that you're doing things bigger than what you ever could have imagined and
had God just placed you in it there would have been too much for you to handle listen don't
be weary don't grow tired you'll keep your eye on the destination but keep your heart in the work
the destination matters but the process of God is what is beautiful in fact so many of the things we
think we want when we look back on it it's not so much what we got it's not just the mountain
we took but it's the people that we took to the mountain it's not just the destination that
we got to but it was the relationships and the joy that we had along the way
I want to be an achiever I want to be getting things done kind of guy but I also want to
enjoy the people that God has placed in my journey because I'm a part of their life to process them
and they're a part of my life to process me and not only will I get closer to the Lord in that
journey but I'll get closer to them and that's a beautiful wonderful thing about the family of God
we can spend our whole life trying to reach a goal only to find out it's not what it's all cracked up
to be friends the real joy in life is in the simple things it's in being with your family getting up
early and seeing the sunrise taking a walk through the park taking your daughter on a date going on
a bike ride with your spouse ensure the goals the accomplishments they bring us a sense of
satisfaction but they're only temporary you can't live off your Super Bowls you can't live off your
big events because after you savor them for a moment God's going to birth a new dream in your
heart something new to look forward to see it's easy to be too busy it's easy to become disengaged
but if you want to get the most out of life you've got to draw the line in the sand and say I'm going
to slow down and enjoy the journey I'm not going to take for granted what God has given me I'm not
going to be a workaholic and not see my children grow up I'm not going to live so stressed out
that I can't appreciate the simple things in life slow down and enjoy the simple things in life take
more walks through the park look at the stars at night think about God's goodness there will always
be another dream another goal another challenge take time for what matters most and some of you
are so focused and driven so busy with what you have to do each day you're missing the miracles
all along the way I've found it's the simple things that mean the most to us you don't have
to take an expensive vacation to make a memory you can make a memory sitting at the dinner table
you can make a memory watching your children play in the backyard getting up early with
your spouse and taking in a beautiful sunrise if you'll make this decision that you're going
to slow down and enjoy the journey then you will experience the fullness of what God has
in store when you come to the end of your life you'll have no regrets you'll be able to say I
made the most of my life I enjoyed my family I enjoyed my friends I finished my course with joy