Hopeful Wandering

In the midst of seemingly endless traveling, we remember that we are hopeful citizens of an eternal city, and we take comfort.

The idea of a hopeless wanderer carries with it the implication of a journey with no end in sight. There is no hope for the one who seeks to find himself along the way because there is no guarantee that he will find what he is looking for and therein direct his steps upon a path. He will not be able to step towards anything. It is possible for a man to step away from his current situation when it is dissatisfying or when he feels he is being held back. Yet stepping away can only be fulfilling if the steps move at an end that will keep a man from falling back into the very thing he sought to remove himself from.

First, he must be found, then he may step forward in confidence towards that which finds him.

The Christian who knows God knows what he is seeking and where he belongs because he has been found by the One who knows all things. When God calls us out of darkness, we are called into His light (1 Peter 2:9). Not only that, but we are then to live a manner worthy of the calling we have received (Ephesians 4:1).

At times it seems as though the follower of Jesus is able to be none other than a vagabond. For many, this is the lifestyle that we live in. I certainly resonate with those who are constantly traveling and are not sure where to call “home”. I have accepted that a regular part of my life may be moving from place to place, yet the way my thoughts are guided by this reality can shape the structure of my path.

The difference between those who travel as the world does and those who travel through the world is based on the end that is in mind. 2 Corinthians 4-5 help us remember that those of us who are a part of the holy nation belong not to this world, but to the eternal city of God. Our wanderings can not be called hopeless, for we have the greatest hope in the promise of our unity with Jesus for all time. Instead, we can only take comfort that we are hopeful wanderers in this life with the permanent promise of being forever with our King.