by Jimmy Flatbush

Created on: May 31, 2011

“The way you see your life shapes your life.”

Perhaps no series of words best describes navigating the journey of life. The words come from Pastor Rick Warren’s best selling book, ‘The Purpose Driven Life.” Pastor Warren promulgates throughout the book that how you define life determines your destiny. Your perspective influences how and you invest your time, spend your money, employ your talents, and develop relationships. All of these factors form potential roadblocks during your life’s journey.

Navigating the journey of life starts with the question, “How do I see my life?” There are as many metaphors for life as there are people on earth. We hear “Life is a circus,” or “Life is a puzzle,” or the infamous quote from “Forrest Gump,” ‘Life is a box of chocolates.” These unspoken metaphors, these innate euphemisms, influence our lives more than any other factor. If you believe life is one big party, then you most likely cherish having fun. If you view life as a battle, then you probably value winning competitions. One thing, above all metaphors, indisputably drives us all.

Most of us perceive life as a journey. The journey may be a rocky uphill climb or a smooth ride down a freshly asphalted highway that has a few minor bumps in the road. Sudden illness or a freak accident may prematurely cut short the journey. The journey may span decades, entailing extended periods of misery and grief, or providing us with myriad cherished memories. Regardless of its length, navigating the journey of life encompasses some truths that we all will experience.

We will be tested every day of our lives. How we handle success, conflict, illness, triumph, and even minor inconveniences such as delayed flights, influences the development of our character. Navigating the journey of life means you must use the tests life presents for an opportunity for personal growth. Delayed or broken promises, intractable relationship problems, undeserved criticism, and life altering tragedies all test our character. We develop character by faith, hope, and love. The bible often states character-building tests are essential components of navigating the journey of life. Every passed test is an important step towards fulfilling our life purpose

The second component is viewing the journey of life as a trust between you and God. This second biblical metaphor promotes the concept of stewardship, a concept defined

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