Giving And Receiving Directions
John 14:5-6 says, “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” When my children were children and all living at home I would take them up to Altapass to vist my Grandmother Medford. During the drive, my kids would ask if there was a mall where they could shop while in big city of Altapass. Today, I’m not even sure if you can buy a loaf of bread there, but that was not always the case. My Uncle Paul and Aunt Norma owned a general store in Altapass during my childhood years.
When I was growing up, I considered it the best store in the whole world. The floors were wooden and crackled when you walked on them, and the store had a smell that reminded you of Christmas time, even in the middle of summer. Quite frankly, we didn’t need a mall in Altapass. One summer, when I was twelve years old, I lived with my Aunt and Uncle and worked at that special store. I worked from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. six days a week. I learned how to run a cash register, count money, pump gas, stock shelves and deal with the public, skills that have served me throughout my entire life. Even though we were way up in the mountains the store was always busy. One of the reasons for our brisk business was the Henredon furniture factory a few miles up the road on Hump Back Mountain. Salesmen and other people would stop at our store and ask for directions on how to get to Henredon, and I would tell them. Hardly a day would go by when a person didn’t stop and ask for directions to Henerdon, and I would tell them without a bit of hesitation in my voice. Here is the part of the story I want you to consider, I had never been to Henredon. I had heard my Aunt and Uncle gives directions and I just mimicked what they said to the customers. However, it bothered me that I was so quick to give directions to a place that I had never seen. Before I returned home for the start of school, I asked my uncle if he would take me to Henredon so I could see it for myself. He thought it was an odd request, but took me anyway. I felt there was only one way to find out for sure if Henredon existed, so I followed my own directions!
It is very easy to get involved in Church life and listen to the language that religious people use to explain their faith. In your personal faith be sure that you are not just mimicking what you have heard someone else say without trusting in it yourself. I wonder what nonbelievers think when they hear Christians talk about our faith. Do we use words they understand or do we have our own language that makes it difficult for them to relate to us? When you give this some thought, would a nonbeliever know what you are talking about when you use words like; salvation, redemption, grace, Heaven or Hell? As believers, we need to make sure the people that we talk to about Jesus know what we are talking about when discussing being “born again.” The best way to accomplish this is to tell them our story and relationship with the Son of God.
Jesus told us that He is the way, the truth, and life. One does not go to Heaven through good works or belonging to a particular Church. Today is a great time to consider eternal matters, and in whom or what you are putting your trust? If it is not Jesus Christ, then you are on the wrong road, going in the wrong direction. Trust the directions Jesus gives each of us, because He will never send us down the wrong road, and we cannot trust anyone else to walk down that road for us. It is something that we must do for ourselves. Remember, don’t give in to sin. Think about it!