Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Right Path - Wrong Direction

There's a highway near my home town.
It runs about 75 miles in an east-west line between Madison and Milwaukee.
Madison is the home of our magnificent state capitol building. Milwaukee overlooks Lake Michigan.

Imagine if I were to meet a visitor to our area somewhere in the miles between.
She asks me if she is on the road for Madison.
"Well, we both are on the very same road," I confirm.
"Well, I think I'll continue on my way then," she answers, and hops back onto her bicycle.

However, she is heading in the direction of Milwaukee. She is, in fact, on the road for Madison, only she will be getting farther and farther away from it with every push of the pedals.
I call out to tell her, but my friend says, "what are you doing?"
"I'm going to tell her she's headed in the wrong direction," I say, "what do you think I'm doing?"
"Don't be so arrogant," my friend rebukes me. "she seems like a very thoughtful, confident person. Who's to say she won't get to Madison her way, same as us?"  And he hops back on his bicycle toward Madison.
I think about how I would feel if it was me and I eventually rolled up to the beach in Milwaukee. What would I think about the people who could have steered me in the right direction? At the very least, I could have ignored their advice. But what if I really wanted to find Madison -- and what if I no longer had the energy, confidence, or courage left to change my direction?

I hop on my bike and go after her - I'm going to tell her what I know. Then she can make her own decision.

"Peter proceeded to speak and said.....they put him to death by hanging him on a cross...he commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."  Acts 10:34-43

If your path is leading you away from Jesus, turn around. I don't think you're heading in the right direction.

What do you believe?


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