Direction Determines Destination

A Hiking Devotional

Picture this: You're standing at a trailhead with your buddy who's absolutely convinced he knows a "shortcut" to the summit. He's got good intentions – really wants to reach the top, talks enthusiastically about the views, has all the right gear. There's just one small problem: the trail he's confidently marching down heads in the completely wrong direction.

You can have the best hiking boots, the most expensive GPS, and all the motivation in the world, but if you're on the wrong trail, you're not getting to where you want to go. As Andy Stanley puts it: "the path you are on determines where you are going." It's "direction–not intention–that determines our destination."

This seems ridiculously obvious when we're talking about actual hiking trails, but somehow we forget this principle when it comes to life. We have great intentions about our relationships, our finances, our health, our spiritual growth – but then we wonder why we keep ending up in places we never wanted to be.

Jesus understood this principle perfectly. In Matthew 7:13-14, he said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." He's literally talking about two different paths with two different destinations.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus got even more specific about the path: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." And in John 14:6, he said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Jesus wasn't being exclusive to be mean – he was being clear about directions. There are multiple paths you can take in life, but they don't all lead to the same place. As Stanley notes, "We don't drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there."

Here's the uncomfortable truth: you can sincerely want to grow closer to God, have every intention of living according to his principles, and still end up far from where you wanted to be if the daily choices you're making are pointing you in a different direction.

This Week's Challenge: Pick one area of your life where there's a gap between your intentions and your actual direction. Maybe you want a strong marriage but you're on the path of prioritizing work over your spouse. Maybe you want to grow spiritually but you're on the path of filling every quiet moment with entertainment instead of prayer or Bible reading. Maybe you want to be generous but you're on the path of lifestyle inflation and debt. Identify the specific trail you're actually on, then make one concrete change to get on the path that leads where you actually want to go.

Direction determines destination. Good intentions can't overcome a bad path.

Questions for Reflection

1. Think About It: Have you ever been on the wrong trail while hiking or driving? How did you realize you were going the wrong direction, and what did you do about it?

2. Get Personal: Can you think of an area in your life where your daily actions and choices are pointing in a different direction than your stated goals or values? What do you think created that disconnect?

3. Go Deeper: If someone followed you around for a week and watched your actual choices (not what you say you believe), what would they conclude about what destination you're really headed toward? What would need to change for your daily path to align with following Jesus?