Hi Friends,
“Which way should I go?” Every human wants the answer to this question especially in this current climate of chaos and confusion…well, let me be the one to point you to the simple answer to this complex request:
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” Jn 14:6 NASB
Do you really want to know which WAY you should live? Then read the Bible for yourself, and see how Jesus lived. Here’s the major problem the Church is having right now: if you do not read the Bible FOR YOURSELF, all you can go by is what others tell you about Jesus. My Friends, there is an eternal difference between knowing ABOUT Jesus and knowing Jesus personally. And as the saying goes, if you don’t know the truth, you’ll fall for anything. Or let me put it this way: if you do not know Jesus, Who is the Truth, personally, you will fall for every lie you are fed about Him. Here’s a lie some are “preaching” out there, see if you recognize it: Jesus just loved and accepted everyone, so “you do you!” Really?! You do you?! Church, are we really advising others to keep sinning, because that’s what “you” apart from Jesus do?! Church, come on! “You” is what got “you” in trouble in the first place. Why would we allow culture to redefine what God’s Word says and mock what Jesus did on our behalf?! Jesus did not die for us so we could keep on sinning…we were already doing that all by ourselves! Jesus died to make us holy. By the WAY, that is actually a command from the Father: be holy for I Am Holy. (Lev 20:26; 1Pe 1:16) God commands us to be holy and this is what knowing Jesus personally makes us. Jesus showed us, time and time again, that He was (is and will always be) Holy. How? He obeyed the Father with every decision He made. Never did Jesus, the Human, ever “do” His own thing. Always did Jesus, the Human, “do” whatever He saw the Father doing. As we grow in our spirit to be more and more obedient, then we will naturally know the WAY we should live.
Jesus loves and accepts everyone…Truth! Because Jesus loves and accepts everyone, it’s ok to do whatever YOU think is best…LIE!!! Loving and accepting NEVER means condoning sin. NEVER. Yes, Jesus still loves everyone. Thank You, Lord. Yes, Jesus died for the world so He would accept everyone just the way we are. Thank You, Lord. But NO, that doesn’t mean we can continue to do whatever WE want, whenever WE want, with whomever WE want, in whatever way WE want. Here’s something we learn by reading the Bible, for ourselves: Jesus never did what HE wanted to do, and if we are supposed to imitate Him, then we can’t either. Jesus ONLY did whatever the Father commanded Him to do. It was never about the desires of Jesus, but all about displaying His Love for the Father by obeying every command of the Father. I know I’m repeating what I said above in a slightly different way, but perhaps it’s because we need to hear it over and over again! “We” cannot do “we,” and expect to be living in a WAY that will lead to a fulfilling life. The WAY we are supposed to live is all about obeying God. If He said it’s good, then with the Holy Spirit’s help, we live it out. If He said it’s not good, then we work with the Holy Spirit to stop living it out. Period, end of story.
Pray with me: Lord, guide my WAY. The WAY I should live is by coming to God with every thought, every emotion and every desire to make sure it lines up with what He thinks, feels and wants. What’s amazing is that, as we grow in Christ, like Jesus, we WILL want whatever the Father wants for us. So when I said Jesus never did what He wanted to do…that was not the full story. Jesus wanted to love the Father more than anything else He wanted, so His obedience was exactly what He wanted to do. That is the WAY He lived and it is the WAY we should learn to live too. We will see the wisdom in obeying, how it benefits everyone involved when we obey. The more we experience these blessings, the more our motives for obeying will be grounded on our gratitude and love for God. Moreover, as we obey with this right heart attitude, we will reap rewards as we obey. The immediate reward is that precious peace that surpasses understanding, that joy that gives us the strength to keep on keeping on, and that indescribable sense of being right with God and within our own heart (righteousness). This is the Kingdom of God. (Ro 14:17) And as if that wasn’t enough, often the reward also comes with some kind of tangible, earthly prize too. My Friends, the WAY to live is to follow the immaculate example of Jesus. Is that easy? NO WAY. ? But it is the only WAY to the Abundant Life here, and Eternal Life forevermore. I ask again: do you REALLY want to know which WAY you should live? So do I, so won’t you join me?
Until we meet again, keep lifting your eyes to God, He’s closer than you think.
<>< Peace, Diane
