I recently watched a documentary interviewing some of the most famous musicians in the world who have spent the majority of their lives on the road following their calling, living out this passion they have to bring their music to people around the world. As glorious as it sounds, they all recognized how challenging it was living on the road and traveling from one location to another.
On my end, I have been on the road full-time speaking for about 10 years now. I personally resonated with a lot of things these musicians were talking about. That was up until they started making millions of dollars.
Living on the road, trying to find the most affordable place to sleep and eat has been my life which is driven by a calling to share Jesus, and the passion I have for people.
I will say the road life is hard, even in 2022 where we have the luxuries of GPS, restaurants on every corner, and Airbnb. Once in a while, I remind myself that this is how Jesus lived for a few years. He lived on the road moving from one place to another as He walked alongside many people while sharing the Kingdom of God with them.
In 2018, I was speaking in Israel. It was my first time there and one of the things that shocked me was how rugged the terrain was. When I read in the Bible about Jesus traveling to Capernaum, Jericho, the Jordan River, and Jerusalem just to name a few; I pictured the flat desert He traveled through. Not to say that would have been easier, but to discover the mountains, hills, and rocks He traveled through while I was there was humbling. I can’t imagine how challenging that would have been for Him.
I often read past those verses in the Bible where it talks about Jesus traveling to a certain place, not thinking about the human side of Him who had to endure days of tiredness, probably not eating well, and not having a comfortable place to sleep every night. Yet, Jesus still traveled for a greater mission and purpose than His own.
Living on the road as He did isn’t a large of a sacrifice compared to what He did on the cross, but it was a sacrifice in order to display God’s Kingdom to others.
Why would Jesus do this? Why would I do this? Why do musicians continue to live on the road and endure these conditions? Obviously, not everyone is called to do it, and I know some people who said they can’t even spend a weekend camping without feeling worn out. I think this way of life simply brings life to others, which in return is life-giving.
A musician seeing a young fan smiling in the front row as they mouth the words to their songs is life-giving, despite not showering for 3 days.
Myself sleeping in the car the night before I speak at church is life-giving when I see someone impacted by Jesus.
Jesus, I could imagine had the same experience when He healed someone who jumped for joy praising God. Seeing God move in people’s lives helps give perspective for the sacrifices we make.
I challenge you next time you read the Bible, don’t overlook the parts where it speaks about Jesus traveling from one place to another. That would have been draining, but it was one of the many sacrifices He made so others can hear, and see the Kingdom of God.
Think about your life and some of the sacrifices you can make in your career, family, entertainment, finances, so others can also receive the life-giving gift of Jesus. We are all on a “road” to somewhere, what makes it meaningful is the impact we leave once we reach our destination.
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