Path of Life

"You have made known

to me the path of life."

Psalm 16:11

Newton's Third Law of Motion states that, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."  If I am paddling a canoe toward the shore, letting it drift as it glides into shallow water, I will eventually run aground.  As I step off that canoe onto the shore, my forward motion will push the canoe backward, dislodging it and setting it afloat again, causing it to drift away from me.  My action caused an equal and opposite reaction.

I am not exempt from this law.  God is constantly reminding me that if I do "this", then "that" will happen.  Just because I am under grace does not mean that I am excused from this basic principle.  

When Jesus died on the cross and I confessed Him as my Savior, His blood covered all my sins, past present and future.  I am no longer under judgement of those sins.  But I will be held accountable for the way I live my life.  

In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul is teaching about our heavenly dwelling to a group of believers who have been saved by faith in Jesus.  He said, ". . . we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (v 9-10)

A sign that a child is maturing is when he obeys his parents out of love and respect as opposed to simply the avoidance of punishment.  In the same way, as I grow in my relationship with Christ, I will begin to desire to please Him out of love and respect.

For this reason, the law God instructed the Israelites to carefully observe in Deuteronomy 11 still applies to me today as I stand under the umbrella of God's grace. Following these statutes will not save me and earn me a place in eternal glory.  God's Word is clear that I can't work my way into His mercy.   

In order to please Him, however, I must pay attention to what is important to Him.  Living a life to please God will bring blessing.

Love

Jesus said it was the most important commandment.  He said it is to be our identifying characteristic.  Out of all of the eternal qualities, it is the greatest.  It is God's identity.  


Love.

Love is important to God.  He commands me to love Him with everything I have, and to love others with the same kind of attentiveness I give to my own needs.  If I want to please God, love must rule my heart, drive my life, and color my actions.  

It's fun to talk about love, but doing it is another thing entirely.  It's easy to say I love everyone, until my rights are violated and I am ready to defend myself at the cost of hurting others.  I readily jump on the bandwagon of love until my needs are not being met and I feel no love in my heart for those who are letting me down.  Love is a nice concept until I think about reaching out in love to the one who slanders my name.


Writer Calvin Miller says, "Christians state glibly that they love the whole world, while they permit themselves animosities within their immediate world. . . But loving the world at large can only be done by loving face-to-face the world that is not so distant."  Love starts at home.


If I want to experience the blessings of God, the love of Christ must rule my life.  

God's Ways

My family enjoyed watching "The Rundown" starring The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, some years back.  One of the funniest parts is where his character, a bounty hunter, is sent to retrieve a ring from a professional football player.  He tells the athlete that he has two options.  "Option 'A,' you give me the ring, Option 'B' I make you give me the ring." 

I always laugh at this technique because it's the same with me and God.  Although He's not a bully and won't make me do anything, I do have two choices.  I can do things the easy way, and compliantly obey, or I can do it the hard way and dig my heals in, insisting that I get my way.  Either way, God's way will prevail.  

Doing things God's way is always better.  Using my own logic and knowledge to make decisions may make sense at the time, but will ultimately lead to disaster.  The wisdom of Solomon says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."  (Proverbs 14:12)

In contrast, Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life.  If I want to do things God's way, it will be through faith in Jesus.  But I shouldn't expect a lot of company.  Jesus said, ". . .small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  (Matthew 7:14)

If I want to experience the blessing of God, I must go against the crowd and begin a journey toward life God's way through faith in Jesus.  

Hold Fast

I remember hiking in the alpine region of Mt Rainier National Park and marveling at the tiny plants clinging to life between the rocks found on the high mountain cliffs.  Even with a minimal amount of soil and nutrients, this vegetation was thriving by holding fast to what little it had.

Similarly, I can hold fast to God, looking to Him to provide all that I need despite my bleak surroundings.  

When all seems lost and it looks like there is no hope, God will show me His might and give me a new sense of hope.  When it seems like everything is going wrong, God will remind me that His way is better and by trusting in Him I can't go wrong.  When it seems like my life is a meaningless series of events, God will show me the purpose He has for my life.

If I want to experience the blessing of God, I must rely on Him alone to provide all the nutrients I need to thrive.

Newton's Third Law of Motion applies to my walk with God.   He blesses those who fear Him and who take His commands seriously.  But it is not for my sake.  It is not to reward me and give me a treat because I did a good job.  It is not so that I can be comfortable and happy.

God blesses those who follow Him so that everyone will know that He is the Lord and that all good things come from Him.  This day, I desire to love as God loves me, walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him.  As I walk His path of life, I will experience the blessings of God and a truly abundant life. 

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will strive to live life God's way.

How do I insist on doing things my way, betraying the condition of my heart?

When is loving my own rights or reputation more important than loving God by loving others?