A Way That Seems Right

In the last 24 hours I have been confronted with people dealing with school suspension, teenage runaway's, threats of  restraining orders; as well as people questioning their own value and sense of worthiness.  These are people I care so much for and the weight of all this hits me.  Ministry can be messy. 

Some of these issues are brought about by their own poor choices,  some by the poor choices of other people, and some a combination of both.  We live in a world marred by sin and see so vividly, when we look for it, its effects.

I am reminded of the words from Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (NIV)  There is physical death and then there is figurative death, but death none the less.  Don’t get me wrong, when we do what we naturally think is best and live for ourselves, the end is death, and that’s not just figurative.  It is eternal separation from God.  But while we are alive here on earth, our poor choices can cause so much more death.  The death of a relationship.  The death of our reputation.  The death of our feelings of personal worth.  The death sentencing could go on. 

I almost find it ironic, living in America in the 21st century, how so many in our culture critique the Bible—declaring it to be irrelevant, old-fashioned, or just a tale.  Many of those same people ignore the truths of the Bible and have a string of dysfunction trailing their life path.  Can they not see the transforming power of Jesus as mentioned in the pages of the Bible? 

As believers, we must rely upon the truth God has revealed to us in the Bible.  God knows so much better.  His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9) and will always prove to be the true source of wisdom when we find our desires colliding.  It is in that moment that we have a choice to make: will I opt to go with my natural reasoning, or will I go with supernatural reasoning—that which comes from God through the  Bible?  

Think about whatever it is you have been faced with this week in life.  Use the list I mentioned earlier in this article as a starting point to get your mind thinking.  How will you respond?  If you try to solve this on your own, void of God and His Word, you will find yourself spinning in circles.  It’s a nasty circular ride that might seem pleasant for a while, but always ends in death.