One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.
~Psalm 27:4
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question has been asked of small children through the generations. Until about 25 years ago or so, the typical boy responses would be “fireman” or “policeman” or maybe “Superman”…girls might have said, “nurse” or “vet” or “mom”. (Aging myself, I know.) Now, in our much more digital and complex world, we’d probably hear, “I’m going to be a millionaire playing videogames” or “I’m going to be an influencer.” [Sadly, many young girls (ages 18-24) in our culture are pursuing their fortune by selling their bodies—nudity/sexual activity—online, with 4.6 million global “content creators” in 2025. There’s a whole other sermon in that stat, but I’ll stick with my theme here.]
Regardless of their answer to the question at age 6 or 10 or sometimes 20, most kids are unsure about what their future looks like, so there’s no clear path of pursuit—you can’t map your journey unless you know your destination. In addition to the goal changing through the years, the uncertainty and FOMO of career options leave many kids paralyzed (and living in their parents’ basement).
My eldest son, however, was different. From about age 5, he knew exactly what he wanted to do: fly airplanes. It was so cute, and we cultivated his joy in all-things-airplane/airport. As the years went on, he became obsessed with aviation, from airport codes and aircraft types to looking up to identify every plane flying over. And as he entered high school, when most kids are vying for popularity (or even just to fit in), seeking parties or the easiest classes, my son had tunnel vision. Every single decision he made, academically, socially, and financially, filtered through one question: “Will this get me closer to my goal of being a pilot?” I’ll skip sharing all the miracles and awe of his amazing journey, but suffice it to say that his tenacity continued through college and flight instructing to earning his “wings” as a first officer at a regional airline at 23…now he flies with Southwest Airline. And I’m in awe of him every day.
Beloved, as followers of Jesus Christ, we must embrace our faith with this same pure and passionate pursuit. As we love the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27), His glory must be the path under our feet and the current in which we swim. Like my son’s single-mindedness to “slip the surly bonds of Earth”, we must be unswerving, undivided in seeking the Lord. As we set our hope on the grace given to us through Jesus, we avoid sin, we put away the lusts we formerly indulged in, and we behave with holiness (1 Peter 1: 13-16). Often, we must even say “no” to very good, godly things for what is “best”.
Thankfully, as we live in this world as citizens of heaven, we don’t have to wonder or guess how to live holy lives as we journey home. We have a clear map given to us in the Bible! Just dive into Paul’s letters to various churches (Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians for instance) or the no-holds-barred letter written by Jesus’ half-brother James—plenty of “put on/take off” instructions, as well as how to think, talk, and act. The path is clearly set for us…but it is narrow and distinctly contrary to the path being traveled by the culture around us. But we also have the Holy Spirit living within us! In accordance with God’s Word, He provides wisdom, council, conviction, and discernment for our path.
So, as my son asked, “Will this get me closer to being a pilot?”—we must keep similar questions always at the forefront of our thoughts, words, and actions: Will this glorify God? Is it holy? Does it make me look more like Jesus? Oh, friend, may we be single-mindedly focused on pleasing God and being satisfied fully in Him. And may we live in pure pursuit of the One who pursued us.
Lord, I do love You with everything I am. Help me daily to pursue eternity over immediacy, purely pursuing Your will and Your glory.
encouraged by grace 