The Way part 1
This one might take a little getting into. So let's get into it. First of all, John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." So what we're talking about (as always) is Jesus... love. LOVE is the way, the truth, and the life. So let's just get that settled. The reason God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path is because love lights the way. Love IS the way. You want to experience life to the fullest? You have to live a life of love. Because living and loving aren't just connected, they are the same thing. You can't have one without the other. That's why so many people are miserable--they waste their lives looking for love in all the wrong places, instead of going to the source. You can't find love anywhere else than the God who IS love. You can't fill a God-shaped (love-shaped) void with anything else but God. But love. And watch this: "...straight is the gate, and narrow the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14). And, unfortunately, we've taken that to mean that we have to modify our behavior and fit into a very small box in order to get into heaven someday. When, as always, Jesus was talking about LIFE. And He was talking about HIMSELF. HE--LOVE--is the straight gate and the narrow way. Straight and narrow because love is the ONLY way to truly live. Again: Living and loving aren't just connected. They are the same thing. Its not about trying to be someone you're not in order to get something you think you haven't got. Its about knowing who you really are. Who you are in Christ which is who Christ is in you. Its about embracing your new (true) self. And here's where I wanted to get to today. Here's where I think I'm gonna be for the next few days: "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God" (1 John 3:21). And to me this simply means, "Follow your heart and you'll be ok." Trust your gut. If you have a bad feeling about something... don't ignore that feeling. And if something feels good on the inside... it probably is. I know we've been conditioned to believe that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. But I heard the other day that your first response to something is what you've been conditioned to think. And your second response is more true. So think twice sometimes. Don't want something just because someone tells you you should. Don't just go along with any old thing. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. And that thing you should stand for... is love. (That's also the thing you should stand ON, so you won't be shaken.) So if you don't know what to do, do what you know. Love people. If you're heart doesn't condemn you, you can have confidence that you're on the right path. Going the right way. And I'll tell you right now, there have been times in my life when I've done this, "Of course I know that's a horrible decision... but I'm doing it anyway." Ignored what I knew was up. And it never goes well. Never ever. Because life can't be lived--truly lived--when you're on the wrong path. When you're going the wrong way. But here's the good news: God allows U-turns. In fact, I'm convinced He encourages them. But we'll get into that tomorrow. For today I just want to say, and say, and says... trust your heart. Your heart knows the way. Your heart IS the way!