Are scenic photos taking over your Pinterest feed? Do you long to escape to exotic lands? When Rachel of the Bible left her home with Jacob, she stole and hid idols of foreign gods (Genesis 31:33-34). Wanderlust could be your secret god. It was for me. Here’s my story.
The Travel Craving
I was going to see the world! The wonders of the world were not simply on my bucket list, but my complete life dream. I was about to journey to Guatemala for a short-term missionary trip, and in the summer months I would assist a health project in Peru.
My wanderlust was finally being quenched.
That was college sophomore Dani. Restless and ready, eager to experience what she had only sighed over in magazines. Today I laugh, because my past zeal reminds me of the character George Bailey in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. My eyes filled with dreams, but blind to the beauty of reality.
Wanderlust Gone Wrong
The issue was I never honestly asked myself: Why? Why do I want to see and explore all these things?
Occasionally I gave reasons in my mind: well, to have adventure and challenge myself and hopefully help others along the way.
When fellow Christians would ask me, I would add God into the equation: I want to admire God’s creation, maybe share the Gospel in dark places, and serve peoples wherever He takes me. I want to travel… for the glory of God, of course!
Looking back, it is so clear. Travel, my idealistic career, was an idol. Instead of diving deeper into the love of my Savior, I was drifting away from Him, valuing earthly pleasures.
The lust of my eyes may have not been for a man, but it was still for things created, a wanderlust. (Romans 1:25)
Wanting to explore the world isn't sin, but worshipping what's created over the Creator is. Share on XThis took away from my ability to fully surrender my life to my Creator. Sure I was serving in ministry, and loved Jesus and Christian community, but the essence of who I was as a believer had not yet been realized. I wasn’t being real with myself.
I didn’t feel called to travel because of missions. I felt called to travel because of my personal obsessions with things of this world.
I wanted to establish my own steps, giving God no room to work. But He worked anyway, in spite of my sin.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
My friends and me in Thailand.
Divine Intervention
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21
With me, my faith in Christ was present, but my dreams misguided – I didn’t realize my “good works” were for personal gain and not God.
Another issue was that I wasn’t even willing to let a godly man walk in. Although I was like every ordinary girl who desired a romance, having a boyfriend in college was not my plan. And if I was going to have one, he had to be perfect. I was supposedly meant to travel the world – no one was going to stop me. Can you relate?
The Lord, however, had His faithful agenda. Love happened when I wasn’t looking for it.
I’ve realized from my own story and other women’s that this seems like a common occurrence, another form of God’s grace.
Funnily enough the Lord used Isaias, my brother in Christ, to shake me back to the roots of faith. I saw Isaias’ passion for God’s Word, and I fell in love with it again.
I rejected Isaias repeatedly because of my own fears and pride, but saw God’s forgiveness and patience when Isaias continued to show himself as a trusted friend.
I almost let Isaias go, as many of us do with the Lord when sin takes over, but the Lord wouldn’t let go of me.
To be honest, I was afraid. I knew Isaias was a man of God, but I knew if I said yes to a relationship to him that I would have to let go of my worldly “dreams.” Isn’t that a crazy mini-reflection of what it means to accept a relationship with Christ, to give our life to Him?
One day, after an intense encounter with a nonbeliever, Isaias comforted me – despite the fact that I had said no to a relationship with him a few weeks ago. I was shocked by my spiritual weakness, and also at Isaias’ unrelenting love.
I had to not only seriously look at this godly man, but my salvation. It was time to work it out in fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12-13)
God brought me to repentance, to me knees, and asked: Are you willing to surrender, to submit? Not just to Isaias as his future wife, but ultimately to My will?
Not trying to be overdramatic, but my eyes were really beginning to open! I was ready to serve the Lord again, and also ready to have close fellowship with a man who would always point me to Him.
The Road to Change
To be clear, despite the start of my relationship with Isaias, in the months that followed I still struggled with my travel lust. I went to Peru, and later to Thailand, to make sure that the Lord did not want me to serve Him abroad.
For traveling in itself is not evil, but the motivations can be.
Both of my abroad experiences were full of trials, time and time again exposing the emptiness of traveling purely for self.
The Lord taught me much about Himself, His sovereignty over all lands, and mankind’s desperate need for His Gospel. In the end, He revealed to me the loyalty and love I have for Isaias, and His desire for me to serve alongside Isaias in ministry.
All in all, now I relish exploring not the lands of earth, but the deep, deep love of God. (Romans 12:2) He may take Isaias and me to places someday, for missions or for vacation, but our hearts have made our home in Him. I praise God for His incredible faithfulness, still learning day-by-day what it means to give Him and trust Him with everything.
Practical Points:
God’s plan is unpredictable, but flawless. For me, it meant a relationship and marriage, for you He could have something else in store.
- Ask yourself: Is Christ really at the center of your pursuits or desire for travel?
- Are you willing to follow His plan for your life, whether it means marriage or singleness?
- Does your career or dream have more worth to you than God’s calling?
Reflect on these point through prayer and time in the Word. And remember, if you pass the test of faith, at the end there is an eternal prize, if only you run a good race (James 1:12).
Hi Dani! Thanks for writing this post. You raise a lot of good points that resonate with me, especially the idea of self-sacrificing relationship being stressful before we fully trust God.
Sometimes I feel that my heart pursues God’s heart, but my mind’s worldly calculations distract me; and other times I feel that my mind has fully accepted the logic and truth of who God is/his goodness/love/faithfulness, while my heart doesn’t understand/breaks upon the learning of the world’s tragedies and therefore hinders me from truly trusting him. How do I draw near to him in the constant warring between my heart and mind? What is your advice on trusting God with his plan for my life? How do I discern, without a shadow of doubt, his calling for me?
Sister, there’s so much I would love to share with you! Your questions are ones I have also wrestled with, but God is always gracious in giving us wisdom if we ask Him in faith (Matthew 7:7-11, James 1:5-8). I will try to do my best to answer in this little comment, but I would also encourage you to not only pray and search the Scriptures on your own, but to seek counsel from a trusted and solid Christian friend in person.
First of all, we must acknowledge that God is our Creator and Savior. If we believe these two truths about Him, then we can surrender our life to Him.
Here’s a few points to consider: 1. God is God, pure and simple. His thoughts are higher than ours, His ways far above our own (Isaiah 55). He moves and acts entirely up to His discretion, and we cannot become lost in questioning Him (Romans 9:19-26, also check out the ending chapters of the book of Job).
2. God’s Word is a gift given by Him for understanding His Will: which is for us to be saved, made holy as He is holy, and live in worship, thus fulfilling our complete potential in love. Through the Bible He has graced us with knowledge about His plan for the world and offered redemption through Christ. Our heart and mind can become synchronized as we believe in the Gospel, receive the Holy Spirit, and obey His Word.
3. Our world is incredibly broken and dark, but that is not the end of the story. I firmly believe that salvation through Christ IS the hope that will restore all things, unlike any other man made philosophy or effort. Through Jesus lives are genuinely transformed, and His future Kingdom is real and coming. The current drama and discord on earth was foretold to us by Scripture, and it will someday end in a tremendous display of God’s power.
There’s so much theology I could discuss, but ultimately the direction and answers you’re seeking comes from abiding in the truth of the Gospel. Knowing that Jesus did not hide in heaven, but humbled Himself by experiencing the world’s pain and enduring the cross in our behalf, is wondrous mercy! We should respond with the desire to serve Him.
A few resources I recommend: please see my testimony page on Free Indeed, it gives a little explanation of my own journey to knowing Christ and His calling. Also check out John MacArthur’s book Found: God’s Will. The crux of His message is that if we’re saved by faith and willing to surrender everything for Him, we are then in a place to use the gifts He’s given us in any form for His glory! No matter what path we take, we can choose to honor and follow Him.
I’m praying for you, friend!
In His Love,
Dani
Hey there! Wow what a wonderful article you have written and an eye opening one for me it seems. I have loved the pursuit of travel for a while now and I was considering going on a working visa to another country while I have the opportunity but I have felt God wasn’t blessing that decision and your story made me realize there may be a reason. I will now do my best to lay down my desires and to let God do what he needs. Although I am currently struggling with the fact I have no dream or plan for my life, the only thing I feel is that I need to get out of my small home town there are no opportunities here and all the people seem so miserable . Anyhow thanks for sharing your beautiful story!
Hey Dani, so grateful that I stumbled upon your blog post! It’s given me the realization that I need to examine why I want to travel places. My sister wants me to go to Hawaii with her for my 30th birthday this June but I felt an uncomfortable feeling in my Spirit when it came up. Definitely will have to examine my motives for traveling. And I don’t believe it’s the smartest move to to travel so far right now.
Hello! I’m thinking about moving to China for a year to teach English. I am seeking Godly wisdom on whether I should or not and this post came up on one of my Google searches, “Is it a sin to travel?”. Sort of a comical question to ask, but there are some serious implications to consider! Your post gave me some great things to weigh as I consider my decision. The main questions I am now asking myself is: Am I seeking God’s will or my own? Am I laying down my life to follow Christ or trying to fulfill my own fleshly desires? Is this desire to travel competing or distracting me from my desire to seek Jesus? Thanks, for your post, it has been very helpful. I don’t think we Christians explore and understand this topic enough.
I just want to leave you a comment and say thank you for your wisdom, and stating what I already knew about myself, but I needed to hear. For me, I am married and my struggle is not wanting to be tied down. I’ve been married 10 years now and we still are childless but my walls are covered in pictures of beautiful places and a loving husband who is just as adventurous as I am. He desires children, and I always think I need to go to one more place first, one more destination, one more year. But, these travels (though they are fun) leave me unfulfilled; only wanting more. I think it’s by the grace of God that he allows us to live in our desires to show us how unfulfilled we are by them – thank you for this post.