Wouldn’t it be nice to know our purpose and have a clear plan? To know for sure what we should do next instead of wondering what the best course of action is?
I recently started re-watching a fantasy movie that I loved as a child called Flight of Dragons. Early on, the wizard seeks an answer to the problem facing his world. And what does he get? An immediate response, telling him whom he should send on the quest to capture the evil wizard’s crown, where he can find this hero, and how. It looks so easy! In the face of the threat of evil destroying the world, an immediate clear solution is provided.
In fantasy quests this often seems to be the case. There’s a clear objective and an obvious course of action to achieve it.
If only real life were so easy.
Often it’s hard to tell where we should aim our lives. Even if we know why we’re here—our purpose—it’s not always clear how we should achieve it.
Which way to go?
I’ve always loved to create stories. I believe God has called me to be a writer, and I long to share my novels with the world. But how to go about it? I’ve chipped away at the barrier between me and a traditional publishing contract over the course of 16 years—refining my writing style, writing more novels, learning how to write queries and synopses and proposals, researching editors and literary agents—but I still haven’t broken through. Am I supposed to self-publish instead? Rather than facing the gatekeepers, that path has me accomplishing everything myself—whether I have the skills or not. I get so overwhelmed by the decisions that have to be made that I can’t make a move. Sometimes I wish God would just give me a clear answer to what step I should take next, like in fantasy stories.
But then again, the fantasy stories don’t make everything as easy as it appears at first glance. Take Lord of the Rings for example. There’s a clear objective—destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Obviously, that will entail a journey to Mount Doom. But how should the fellowship get there? From Rivendell, they first plan to take the easy way through the gap of Rohan, but with enemies watching that route, they have to change course. Next they try going over the mountains, but the mountain pass itself opposes them so they can’t get through. As a last resort, they travel through the Mines of Moria—a path fraught with danger and tragedy. If they had known the outcome, would they have gone that way at all, or gone home?
As readers and viewers, perhaps we oversimplify the quest because we trust that the story will have a good ending—otherwise, why would this story be told? We’re confident everything will turn out, one way or another, so we miss the angst that the characters face at every obstacle and wrong turn.
In our own lives, unable to predict the path ahead, we struggle with discouragement. When we hit setbacks, we question whether we’re on the right path and if we should even continue on. We’re not convinced there will be a happy ending when we’re staring down the evil dragon or balrog blocking the path.
Remember the outcome in the middle
No matter what, the quest—life—isn’t easy. Not even fantasy stories claim it is. And that’s a harder truth for us to swallow than we like to admit. We want to know which way to go. But if we knew what difficulties awaited us, we might just throw in the towel before we even start.
But remember how sure we are that the story we’re reading or watching will turn out right? We keep pressing through the characters’ trials and wrong turns because eventually the quest will be fulfilled and make all the struggle worth it.
We can have that same confidence in real life, too. Just as we can trust the Author of our story, we can hold onto the hope that if we faithfully keep pursuing the calling God has for our lives, we will achieve the purpose He has for us. We don’t know how life will go, but He does. And He has a plan that won’t go awry.
In my writing, I’ve faced hundreds of rejections—and keep racking up more—not to mention the hordes of doubts and misgivings that come with them. Sometimes I don’t even want this dream anymore because I can’t see any way of achieving it. I don’t know what to do. But I do know God has called me to this, and He’s faithful to fulfill His promises. He completes what He starts. And if I keep that in mind instead of focusing on the problem I face, I can keep going. I can persevere on this quest, trying one more way and one more way, knowing I will reach the goal eventually.
How do I know? Because I can look back on my life and see how He’s already been good to me in so many ways. I wouldn’t have signed up for some of the hard times He’s taken me through, but they’ve brought me to a better place than I could have reached any other way. So maybe it’s better that I don’t know exactly how things will go—because instead of being overwhelmed at everything ahead of me, I can trust Him to give me the strength I need in each moment.
If you’re struggling with pursuing the plan God has for you, I encourage you to remember who He is and what He has promised to do in your life. Keep your focus on those truths, and you’ll find the strength to persevere through the struggles—and get one step closer to fulfilling your quest.
What quest are you struggling to complete? How can you shift your focus from your problem to the truth about your situation?
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