On our flight to Cambodia last week our church mission team had a short layover in Inchon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. As our plane approached Seoul, we wondered if the time allotted for transfer to our connecting flight was sufficient. We figured, we only had about 30 minutes to get off the plane, find out for ourselves the location of the gate of our connecting flight, go through security check, and finally get to the gate by boarding time. Our fear was that we would miss our flight.
As it turned out, our fears were unfounded. It did take a while to get off our plane. Next was to find out quickly where we needed to go, then start walking. But as we walked along the first corridor (of many) from our plane, I noticed a man standing on one side holding up a sign that read: “Short Connection. Siem Reap.” That was our destination. So I approached the man. To our pleasant surprise, he was actually waiting for us. And he led us on a fast-paced walk to what seemed like the other end of the huge airport. And we got to the gate of our flight just in time for the boarding call. Without the man’s guidance we could have missed the flight.
It would have been foolish to dismiss the help of the guide, and insist on finding our next flight on our own. When navigating unfamiliar territory, it is always helpful to have a guide who knows the place. Following the guide prevented us from needlessly wandering around, losing precious time and resources, and missing our destination altogether. This is especially true in our spiritual journey.
Jesus himself knew that humankind can never reach life’s preferred eternal destination on one’s own. He alone is the one that can guide us through life’s countless challenges on to life with God in eternity. He told his disciples: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14.6 NIV). And when he returned to the Father, he left provision for continuing guidance: “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14.26 NIV). This is good news. We do not have to figure out life on our own. God himself will guide us. What we need to do is simply this: Keep “our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12.2 NET).
—Keith Y. Jainga