4 Lessons Hiking Taught Me About Life

A couple of years ago, my family went for a hike in a state park near our home. We had a fun afternoon exploring nature and spending time together. While I enjoyed the hike, it was certainly not very easy. Hiking on the rocky path reminded me of our journey through life.

These are a few lessons I learned from the hiking path:

1. Keep focused on the moment.

There were so many rocks on this path that I had to remain focused on where I was stepping so that I would not stumble or slip. In life, there are many rocks (circumstances, people) in our path. If we take our eyes off where we are in life and where we feel God is leading us, we can easily stumble or slip. Our circumstances can tempt us to do life on our own without God. And that can be disastrous!

2. Don’t fret over what is ahead.

During our hike, I would occasionally try to look ahead to see what the path looked like. Many times my heart would quicken when I saw what looked to be a difficult or impossible trail. However, when I made it to these “treacherous” areas, they were not as bad as they looked. They may have been a little more challenging than other spots on the path, but I was able to navigate over them.

It’s not unusual for me to be caught up into looking into the future of my life and fretting over what may happen. I find that when I take my eyes off God, the future can be paralyzing. But, when I trust God with my future, He brings me through the difficult times.

3. Enjoy the flat, straight places.

A few spots on the path were flat and straight. It did not take me long to learn to enjoy these easy parts of the hike. Often I’m caught up in the busyness of life and worrying about the future that I don’t enjoy the easy times when they come along. It’s vital we take advantage of the easier times in life so that we can be encouraged during the more difficult times.

4. Take your time. Life is not a race.

I was in such a hurry to get through the trail that I didn’t take the time to rest periodically along the trail. By the time we got to the top, I could barely breathe and I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. Our life is not a race. We need to take time and enjoy the blessings God has given us as we move through life doing what He wants us to do.

What lessons have you learned along the path of life?