My son Sky has always liked machines and big challenges. One vivid memory I have is of him driving our tractor across the field as Tony and I threw bales onto the hay wagon. Sky was only six or seven years old, so his feet barely reached the pedals. But he was grinning from ear to ear, thrilled to be entrusted with such an important task. He’s still driving today, now maneuvering semi-trailer trucks through busy city streets and impossibly small alleyways. His perseverance and stamina enable him to do what I wouldn’t even attempt.

Most of us take truck drivers for granted—maybe even resent their presence on the roads—but as we are finding out the hard way, they are vital to our way of life. It’s especially hard to recruit cross-country truck drivers, and for good reason. Besides their relatively meager pay, they’re forced to endure long absences from their families, uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, and food that’s nothing like home cooking. It’s lonely out on the road and when they do stop for snacks, a shower, or a brief rest, they find all sorts of temptations awaiting them. The reason some drivers succumb is not so much lust but boredom. Many just want to enjoy some company or distraction, even if it’s short-lived and expensive.

In some areas truckers drive with dread, knowing they may encounter a snowstorm on a treacherous mountain pass, torrential rain, hurricane-force winds, black ice, or stretches of pavement so hot that their tires blow out. Weather isn’t the only risk. When their truck breaks down and leaves them stranded, frustration skyrockets because they know their expected delivery will be late. Any accident or construction slowdown on the Interstate forces them to either wait till it’s cleared or take a costly detour. No wonder long hauling is so stressful!  

Why mention all this? Long-haul trucking is a great metaphor for the Christian. Faith in Christ is a long journey that begins when we invite Jesus to be Lord of our lives, take up our cross, and follow Him; from that point on, we’ll be trucking until we enter into eternity. As we go, we carry with us precious commodities that others need—comfort, encouragement, prayers, counsel from Scripture, Good News, mercy, practical help, and so much more.  But because of the discomforts and uncertainties of road life, some who say they want to follow Jesus begin to wonder if maybe the sacrifices of the road are too much. Like their secular counterparts, they begin to look for opportunities to call in sick more frequently and even consider what it would mean to resign their position and move on.

We live in a culture of instant gratification, so it’s not surprising that we find it hard to submit to the routines and disciplines of spiritual life. They never seem to pay off as quickly as we think they should, and like any trucker, we are subject to worldly temptations at every turn.  

Yet, this life of long hauling is what we’ve been called to if we want to follow Jesus. Like the title of one of Eugene Peterson’s books, the life of faith is A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. In John 8:31 Jesus told His followers that perseverance was the trait they needed most if they wanted to be His disciple. Their loyalty to His ways would prove their sincerity. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure” (MSG).

Fortunately, we’re able to “stick with it” because our faithful God sticks with us. He understands our frustrations and how we long for comfort and ease. He knows how we feel when we encounter delays and dramatic changes to our good plans. He knows what it’s like to be misunderstood, inconvenienced, disrespected, or betrayed. He doesn’t disregard our pain; He simply says, “Hang in and trust me. I know it looks like you can’t navigate the hairpin turn up ahead. I know you feel let down by the accident or illness you’ve experienced. I know you find what I’ve called you to do extremely boring and unsatisfying sometimes. But continue to trust me. I know the way you take, and like Job, you’ll be able to say confidently, “when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).    

Amid all the challenges and uncertainties, we can be certain that He is with us. He is Immanuel. His presence is one of the wonderful rewards that people of faith enjoy. We don’t do our journey alone, even if it feels like that sometimes. If we turn to Him at any point, the Lord will provide both the incentive and the power to carry on. Not in some sour-faced and resigned way, just sloughing our way through, but with hope and joy. As it says in Psalm 16:11 (NASB) “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

In A Long Obedience in the Same Direction Eugene Peterson writes, “That ‘he sticks with us’ is the reason Christians can look back over a long life crisscrossed with cruelties, unannounced tragedies, unexpected setbacks, sufferings, disappointments, depressions—look back across all that and see it as a road of blessing. God establishes a personal relationship with us and stays with it. The central reality for Christians is the personal, unalterable, persevering commitment God makes to us.”

Focusing on the faithfulness of God will help take our minds off our present complaints, our disappointments and regrets about the past, and our fears about the future. We have with us a perfect companion who has traveled this road before us!  The long haul of faith isn’t easy, but it’s sweetened by His company and getting to partner with Him in building the kingdom.  

Like Sky, our feet will barely reach the pedals. We’ll never do our jobs perfectly. We’ll grow tired, lose focus, and get discouraged. But here’s what’s most important: Our life of faith is shaping us into Christ’s image. It’s preparing us so we can one day reign with Him in eternity. And as we go, we bless others as we faithfully deliver what God has entrusted to us. So, as Paul reminds us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). The fulfillment of all God’s promises awaits those who stay on the road and learn to depend on Him instead of themselves.

Paul saw his long-hauling commission as a privilege. Sure, it meant danger and suffering for him, but he knew the future rewards would far outweigh his present discomfort. “Since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:1, 16).

Lord Jesus, help me to see this journey with you as a privilege and joy. Even when things in my life are going wrong and I’m off course, you are faithfully sticking with me … and that makes all the difference! How wonderful to know I can contribute to what you are doing in the world. Give me your strength as I continue on as your true disciple.  Thank you, Lord. Amen.