The Journey is the Destination - Daily Devotional
A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast
The Journey Is the Destination
We spend so much of our lives focused on where we want to go.
A better job.
A healed relationship.
More peace.
More stability.
More happiness.
And while those desires are good and natural, there’s a quiet danger in believing that life will begin once we arrive.
Years ago, while driving the Road to Hana on the island of Maui, I learned a lesson that reshaped how I see life. The destination itself was beautiful—but the real magic was along the way. Waterfalls tucked just off the road. Lush gardens. Beaches of every color imaginable. All of it easily missed if the only goal was “getting there.”
Life works the same way.
When we rush toward the destination, we often miss the very moments meant to shape us.
When the Journey Feels Unwanted
Many of us find ourselves in places we never planned to be. Divorce. Loss. Disappointment. A faith crisis. A season of loneliness or uncertainty. In those moments, the desire to escape the journey is overwhelming.
But focusing only on escape robs us of growth.
One of the reasons discouragement takes such a strong hold is because we tell ourselves, “I’ll be okay once this is over.” When peace is always somewhere else, joy never arrives.
Hope Lives in the Journey
In the powerful book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl teaches that hope—not circumstances—is what keeps the human spirit alive. Even in unimaginable suffering, meaning could still be found.
Frankl observed that success and happiness cannot be chased. The more tightly we grip them, the more they slip away. Instead, they come as a byproduct of living with purpose, integrity, and devotion to something greater than ourselves.
The same principle applies to faith.
The scriptures rarely focus on where we’re going. They focus on who we’re becoming along the way. They are records of journeys—imperfect people walking forward with God, one step at a time.
God is far more interested in the journey than the destination, because it’s in the journey that hearts are shaped.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Today, try this simple shift:
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, pause and genuinely appreciate what you do have.
Instead of wishing your season away, ask: What can this season teach me?
Instead of forcing answers, take one small step in the direction that feels right.
Instead of waiting for happiness, look for moments of meaning today.
Include God in your journey—not just in your hoped-for destination.
A Final Thought
An ancient proverb teaches that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
You don’t need the whole map today.
You don’t need everything figured out.
You only need the next step.
And as you learn to live with intention, gratitude, and faith, you may discover something surprising:
The journey you were trying to escape was shaping you into exactly who you were meant to become.
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Thanks for taking a moment to reflect today.
Parents, teachers, and youth leaders can find gospel-centered Come Follow Me–aligned lessons for teens at Come Follow Me for Teens.
You can also listen to The Drive podcast for more short, daily faith-based reflections.
