CHARISSA CHEONG, a year into her post-university life, writes that amid uncertainty we should never lose sight of our ultimate goal – an eternity with Christ…
London, UK
Where are we headed? PICTURE: Daniel Gonzalez/Unsplash
“Let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its same, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2
People say that life is complicated, but I happen to think that for most people, at least the ones I’ve known, life in its earliest stages is incredibly simple.
There’s such a clear structure to it. First, we learn to walk and talk, then we learn how to use the toilet, we go to school, we do our exams, we might then choose to get a degree, and at this point, things usually start to get messy.
“It’s felt strange to not have a clear goal to work towards. There are no end of year exams and no term dates. Whenever I’m asked what I plan to do next with my life, or what I am working towards, I feel confronted by fear at my lack of a ready answer. “
I’m now well over a year into my post-university life, and I’ve been working full-time for about eight months now. As much as I feel grateful for that and love what I do, I must also admit that at times, this stage of my life has felt very uncertain, almost as though I’ve walked off a plank and dived headfirst into deep waters below. The path on the road map of life that has all the while been so easy to follow has abruptly come to an end, leaving me to wonder where I’m heading next.
While there was previously a logical next step for each year of my life, be that the next grade of school or the next year of university, I’m now getting used the feeling of not knowing where I’ll be this time next year, and I have to say it’s not been the easiest concept to digest.
It’s felt strange to not have a clear goal to work towards. There are no end of year exams and no term dates. Whenever I’m asked what I plan to do next with my life, or what I am working towards, I feel confronted by fear at my lack of a ready answer.
Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy my life and my job. But sometimes, in the exhausting and repetitive cycle that is everyday life, I’ve found myself wishing for an exciting change or a new goal. It’s the endless nagging from the world to always have something new to work towards, and it never lets you just be satisfied.
When I came across this verse, though, I was instantly reminded that there is an ultimate end goal to our lives, and that goal is being with Jesus in eternity. What an awesome and incredible reassurance that completely contrasts the fear and lack of satisfaction I had previously felt.
Where I had been struggling with feeling that everyday life was long and difficult, I was reminded in these verses that I am not alone in those feelings. Jesus Himself, though He was God and could have saved us in an instant, chose to endure the long and painful journey of life, and then death on a cross, so that He could set us free.
And the best part is, the passage tells us He did all of that for the “joy set before Him”. That joy is us! He literally loved us so much that He was willing to wake up every morning for 33 years, knowing that pain and suffering awaited Him, so that He could be united to us forever.
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So, what are we working towards in this life, then? It is not attaining our next qualification or promotion, or building a family, or any of the typical earthly goals we can be tempted to make into our reason for living.
In short, we are working towards an eternity with Jesus. He is the joy set before us and He is our reason to wake up each morning and to live out each day.
While getting a new job or starting a new family can be so exciting, they are ultimately not what satisfies the longing of our souls.
It’s in these verses that we’re reminded of the real goal, and it’s so simultaneously obvious and mind-blowingly wonderful that we should never wish to lose sight of it. It’s a relationship. With Jesus. A perfect, eternal, all-fulfilling relationship with Jesus. I couldn’t ask for anything more worth living for.
