This question should be forbidden. If it is not and you drive any distance with children, you will hear it repeated ad nauseum.
For our Traveling Meetings the past two weeks, we traveled more than 3,000 miles over 60 hours in a van with more than half a dozen children (our family).
We chose to remove as much nauseum as possible by exercising our God-given authority to prohibit our children from asking the forbidden question. They need to learn to occupy their time with purpose and patience. Children can learn this.
We had to remind everyone of the prohibition within the first hour of our journey, but the rule successfully removed much nauseum the rest of the journey.
While waiting in a traveling vessel to get to our destination, time is passed doing other things: singing, talking, reading, watching, interacting, forgiving, forbearing, and being forgiven.
Children are not the only ones guilty of asking this question. Sometimes, after adults trust the gospel and know they have a seat in heavenly places, the only thing they can think of until they arrive is, “Are we there yet?”
How much more has the Lord heard this obvious complaint from his children. If we were there, you would know. (No, that sign is not the right one, sit down please.)
In the meantime, Paul tells us that God has a purpose for members of His Body “til he come”. He wants us to occupy our minds with knowing and doing his will so that we can redeem the time before we reach the mark (Phi 3:14).
The church is instructed to pass the time before glory much like our children did the past two weeks: singing, talking, reading, watching, interacting, forgiving, forbearing, and being forgiven.
At many stops along the way, the children reported to complete strangers where they were going. The church should do likewise, telling others about our hope in Christ.
Until glory, we live with purpose and patience, but we should resist asking the forbidden question. We already know the answer.
On the way to glory,
Justin “traveling man” Johnson