Sometimes my father-in-law drives me nuts—sometimes. For the most part we get along well, and I have to say his ability to produce amazingly beautiful daughters is second only to my own. That being said, one thing I try to avoid is getting in the car with the man for long, cross-country trips. His favorite thing to do while traveling is to find the most obscure back roads to get from “point A” to “point B”. Once when coming to visit us from Minneapolis we called him to find out where he was and how much longer it would take him. He informed us that it wouldn’t be much longer because they had just gotten to Spearfish. Spearfish? Apparently highway 85 is a “scenic” route from Mandan to Spearfish and he wanted to check it out.
This drives me nuts because I’m more of a practical driver. I want to know what the fastest and easiest route is from one point to the next, and that’s typically the way I go. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a little diversion here and there—how can you resist a drive through the Badlands off I-90?—but still, short and to the point is more my style. This makes me wonder, though, if God ever gets frustrated with me and the “life” road I travel.
Matthew 7:17 says, “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” This passage lets us know that there is a direct route to God, a way that we can travel that leads to life. Unfortunately it also tells us that only a few find it. Most of us spend our lives wandering around on dusty, dead-end-ridden back roads that lead who knows where all the time wondering how in the world we got here. God must really shake his head when he sees the choices and paths we take in life. Fortunately, while Jesus says only a few will find the right road he also gives us clear directions to that road.
Acts 2:28 tells us that God has made known the path, and John 14:6 tells us that the path is Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In this journey of life, Christ is the map that guides us; he shows us the right path. Jesus said the key to finding it is letting go of our lives and taking on the life God has for us instead. (See Matthew 16:25) In other words, if we want to find the path that leads to life we have to be willing to set aside our own map and pick up God’s instead.
I realize many of you are like my father-in-law and you love those scenic routes. If you are one of these persons what I want to assure you of today is that there is no route more beautiful, more scenic, or more incredible than the one God lays at our feet. A life traveled with God on God’s path is a truly rewarding and joyous life. Have the courage to follow it.
