Once upon a time when hitchhiking wasn’t so dangerous, people used to stand on the side of highways and byways holding signs reminiscent of the title of this month’s column. They wanted to get to where they were going or go belly up in the process. As Christian women, our daily destination is not so easy to reach.

Let’s begin with a few facts. Calvary is the place where our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was crucified over 2,000 years ago. He came into this world to set the record straight about God. The Jewish leaders were representing God in outward appearance but that was all. Jesus compared them to “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). The “inward man” was rotting and dead like a corpse.

Worst of all, others were following suit. There were moneychangers in the temple who were cheating the people. Tax collectors charged high prices to those who couldn’t pay just to line their own pockets. This was the result of false intimacy with God. Well, Jesus was having none of that. He got angry and turned over the tables while giving the offenders a good tongue lashing.

The Jewish leaders were like cornered rats exposed to the light. They fought back by plotting to have Jesus killed. Imagine someone wanting to kill you because of your beliefs? This is a reality for many people across the planet that live in places without religious tolerance. Now, your life may not be threatened in the area in which you live, but as a Christian your life won’t be without opposition and adversity.

There is a dark side to humanity. It reared its ugly head when Jesus’ ministry forced people to begin to think for themselves. It still can be seen when our light is not so well received by others who would rather live in the darkness that envelops them. We were there once ourselves – remember?

But, the good news, girls, is that God did not give up on us. Even though we put His son to death, He still believed in our salvation. That is huge! It is also the reason for the title of this month’s column. We must continue on the journey or perish in the attempt to reach God’s goal for our lives.

With the help of the scriptures, we are looking inward this time. We are all on a journey in this life, but towards what? For those who confess Christ, the journey will continue on in newness of life with Him. For others, well, no one wants to face an eternity without God yet many will.

Society has turned Satan into a boogeyman from stories of things that go bump in the night. He is more than just a “bump.” I have heard people joke that they would be occupying a seat in Hell along with many others.

This isn’t a seat on the city bus. In Luke 16:19, Jesus begins to tell a parable about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The rich man in all his wealth never stooped to so much allow Lazarus to eat the crumbs from his table. When they both died, Lazarus was carried to Heaven and the rich man to Hell.

We have heard about the fire and brimstone in the Lake of Fire in the book of Revelations. This parable even bears that out as the rich man looks up towards Heaven and, seeing Lazarus, asks him for some cool water to ease the torment of the fire around him. As much as Lazarus wants to help, the rich man is reminded by Abraham that this is not possible.

You see, there is a great chasm between Heaven and Hell, not to be breached after death. Hell is for eternity just like Heaven. That bus seat will be surrounded by flames forever. Not a place anyone would want to be.

Each day in Christ is a new day. We are given another chance to fulfill His purpose for our lives. Our goal is to have the same mind in us that is also in Christ. This means doing things His way.

First, Jesus told His disciples how to pray in the Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew. Prayer is important and it not only changes the lives of others when we pray for them, but also our way of thinking. Without prayer, there is only a superficial relationship with God. This is not going to help us on the journey to Calvary.

When others give up hope, it is our task to bring it back to them. By letting God work through us in all situations. Sure we will have times when we question God and His methods, but because we have Christ in our lives, we can also be assured that the Holy Spirit will comfort us in our distress. Then, we can give others the reason why we are not beaten down by our circumstances.

In life, someone may ask you what you are made of. It seems that if you have a tough hide, you can take what the world throws at you. I say, that if you have the gentleness of Jesus and the humbleness of spirit to submit to His will, then you can take what the world throws at you.

Making the journey to Calvary is not easy. The best part is that God is along for the ride with us. He has made it once already. So, what does it take?

For one, it takes rededication. I say that because you have already dedicated your life to Christ, but each day we must confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. That is rededication. As long as you are in this fleshly body, you will sin and need washing.

Also, it takes the fortitude to deny your old habits and do things that others think is okay but God says is not. God deals with each area of our lives so there will always be something new to tackle. If you want to grow in Christ, you have to let Him strip away everything that doesn’t belong in His house (your soul).

Don’t get weary. It takes an entire lifetime to get close to Calvary and even then, the final leg of the journey can only be taken hand in hand with God. But, hope keeps us going and nourishes us every step of the way. If we’re living our purpose for Him, we’ll see a lot of familiar faces on the same journey upward. Bon Appétit!

Garnet Miller
		About the author:
		Garnet Miller is a part-time freelance writer. She has been published in three FaithWriters anthologies, Associated Content, a coffee table book entitled “Letters to My Mother” and a soon to be released anthology entitled, “Delivered” as well as a Christian newspaper. She is managing editor and writes two columns for Extreme Women magazine. Her main focus is ghostwriting. She is a married mother of two teenage boys living in North Carolina.