God provides guidance and a direction that will bring the
greatest good.
A man or woman of God at the crossroads decides which way
they will go. They may or may not
include God in their decision making process.
Many consider God to be silent on such things and assume what they
decide is what He would have decided as well.
I have found God to be more active and involved than silent and much
more wise and insightful than to give in to our whims. Many times each year, each day even, God’s
people are at crossroads, but are God’s people going God’s way when they get
there? Let’s see.
The crossroads is the intersection of decision that
determines the path a person will take.
Going back is a possibility, but few want to go backward in life. Proceeding straight ahead may lead to the greatest
good or perhaps taking the left turn. Let’s
look at a person God affirmed as being one who took the right path at the
crossroad. Abraham represents a person
faced with a decision when at age 75 living in the city of Ur God said, “Leave
your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the
land that I will show you.” Based on
what Abraham heard from God he packed up and left. God called that good.
Now we will take a look at an American Christian who is
married and working and has a house and a car and a nice church to attend. Let’s say he is about 30 years of age. Imagine God communicates to Larry the
Christian guy and says, “Larry, leave your native country, your relatives, and
your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” What happens next?
Larry has a crisis because he attends a church where he has
been assured God doesn’t speak so whatever he is hearing is not from God…not
from God…no, not God. Larry has found a
way to deal with this crossroad. He
ignores God’s guidance and keeps doing what he has always done and getting what
he has always gotten. And sometimes
Larry wonders why his Christian faith isn’t very vibrant.
This isn’t Larry’s first encounter however. No, Larry has heard the voice of God before,
but it was disturbing so he turned up his iPod.
Larry looks good to his Christian friends, his coworkers and
even his neighbors. He cares for his
house and car. He has been through the
financial training class at church and has his financial ducks in a row. He and his wife, Winifred, protect the planet
by recycling. They are taking care of God’s temple, their bodies, by eating
organic and getting regular exercise. Their
plan for the future includes life insurance and putting money away in a 401K
plus some high risk investments while they are young. When the opportunity comes to do community
service or a church work project or go on a short term mission, Larry is right
there. It reminds him of something he
did as a youth.
When Larry was 11 at a Christian camp the glow of the camp
fire and the songs about Jesus and the invitation to surrender all struck
him. He became a Christian. Yes, he sang with all he had, “All to Jesus I
surrender. I surrender ALL.” Service, projects, and missions bring back a
sense of the memory of that special time for Larry.
Larry may look good to Larry and to others, but there is one
whose perspective matters above all others.
There have been others who have looked good before. Jesus had this to say:
Come on, now, Larry, wicked?
He is looking good! Jesus
determines what is good. Jesus has been
offering Larry what is truly good for a long time. Larry has been busy doing what he thinks is
right. The Scripture addresses this: There is a way that seems
right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12 ESV What is Larry to do? Go the way God would have him to go. Larry has to learn to discern the voice of
God at the crossroads and to go His way.
God has the very best in mind. He
is looking out for what really is good for Larry.
Imagine Larry after his encounter with the Lord and singing
with all his heart “I surrender all.” He
gets back home and he doesn’t have time for Jesus. He has sports…practices, games,
tournaments. There are clubs and
competitions and school events and homework.
Then with age there is dating, driving, and doing his own thing. “All to Jesus I…”
College comes along.
Crossroad. God is offering Larry
something, but with all the brochures and the voices giving direction he can’t
hear it. He is told the most important
thing is his education. Get a good
education…get a good job…get a good paycheck…have a good life. Did God say that? Was that God saying that at the crossroad or
was that the voice of the world or the flesh?
Let’s see. Larry goes to college
and does OK for himself. He gets
connected with some people who like to par-tay, sleeps with his girlfriend, and
keeps making the grade. Not much time
for Jesus with all the important things in a young man’s life. Crossroads all along the way. Serious decisions made. All acceptable to a world doomed to the
flames, but to the God whose heart is broken by a young man who has rejected
His offer of a good life it is awful.
Jesus communicated a way of living that connects us in love
to God. It is so dynamic that the
relationship takes off and keeps getting better. John records Jesus’ words in 14:21 LB this
way: The
one who obeys me is the one who loves me; and because he loves me, my Father
will love him; and I will too, and I will reveal myself to him. A quick review of Larry the Christian. If Larry loves Jesus Larry will obey Him,
right? Larry has to know what it is he
is supposed to obey in order to do that.
How does Larry get some basic information on Jesus so he can get
started? Yeah, you know. What about at the crossroads of life? How is Larry supposed to determine which way
to go? Larry doesn’t think God is
dead. He is back in church now that he
is settled and a bit older so he assumes God is alive and the right thing to do
is go to church. But at the crossroad
Larry isn’t convinced God has anything to say to him about which way he should
go. God hasn’t said made Himself known
before at any crossroads according to Larry.
But God has. Over and over
again. The night Larry decided sex with his
girlfriend was the most important thing to do.
Larry was at a crossroad and God was there calling him in another
direction. Larry knows God was there. He knows, and he chose another path. One that did not obey the Lord Jesus Christ
to whom he had said he would surrender all.
One that did not indicate love for God, but rejected Him and then took
Larry down a path that was not light or good or ends well. Discerning God’s way at the crossroad is part
of it, but deciding to go God’s way…well...that, is it.
In another scenario imagine God communicates to Larry the
Christian guy and says, “Larry, leave your native country, your relatives, and
your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” And Larry listens to God. Abraham, as you recall, left the great city
and lived in a tent. God said Abraham
would be the father of a nation, but he had one son of the promise. So, Larry, may not go to college or have a well
stocked 401K retirement or even have a house he owns, but he has obeyed
God. Jesus loves him and the Father
loves him and Jesus reveals Himself in greater beauty, power and presence to
him. Larry in this scenario may not look
like all that much to his family, his friends, his coworkers or his neighbors,
but God says He is well pleased and that this world is not worthy of Larry the
Christian.
God is at the next crossroad for you. You have to make a decision. Do you go God’s way? Do you even know how to determine what God’s
way is? Can you hear God’s voice? Do you see His directives in the
Scriptures? What will you do? God wants you to go His way. He has good for you. Grace awaits.
For more on how God provides guidance at the crossroads
check back.
No comments:
Post a Comment