“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 (KJV)
Some things are relative. Take speed, for example: 55 mph on an Interstate highway can seem relatively tame, compared to the other traffic on the road. That same 55 mph can feel insanely fast on a twisting, turning mountain back road.
Spice is another “relative” term. Your perception of ‘mildly seasoned’ may be over my comfort threshold. Neither of us is right or wrong in the flavor we like – it’s simply a matter of personal preference.
Other things are absolute. There are no ‘sometimes,’ ‘maybe’ or personal preference aspects up for discussion. Human beings absolutely must have an appropriate amount of oxygen in the air they breathe, or they die. They must take in enough nourishment or they waste away and eventually starve to death. They must take in enough fluid or they will dehydrate and die. There are certain non-negotiable elements to life. You may be able to hold your breath for a certain length of time or survive for a little while on no food or water, but death will come.
Jesus is another of those non-negotiable elements. He said it Himself: nobody comes to God without going through Him. All sorts of discussions have been raised about ‘sincere’ people and ‘good’ people and other paths. Jesus didn’t say “nobody except really sincere people comes to God but by Me.” He didn’t say anything about alternate paths or honestly held (even if wrong) beliefs.
Maintaining life isn’t relative. Neither is eternal life. Some things are simple, straightforward and absolute.
Which road are you on? Is it the one leading to eternal life with Him? Or is it some other road? Are you looking at eternity in relative terms or are you absolutely sure of where you’re going?
Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to come and tell us in clear terms how we could come to You. Thank you for Your absolute promise of eternity with You, if we will follow the right road.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Showing posts with label path. Show all posts
Showing posts with label path. Show all posts
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Standing Up to Distractions (Number 28 in a series)
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Psalm 17: 4-6 (KJV)
I have learned from hard experience how easy it is to be distracted by seemingly innocent behaviors. Suddenly time has passed; things I should have done are not done, while I’ve been doing something that bore no fruit. Have you ever had that happen to you? If so, you know what I mean.
There are days when it takes a concentrated effort on my part to stay on task. Some days it is easy to do. In both cases, at the end of the day I feel a deep contentment that I lack on those days when I don’t stay focused. Rather than disappointment over what I haven’t done, I have joy in what I accomplished. I like those days a lot better than the others.
There is a great deal of discussion and teaching on the subject of Christian money management. I am out of work and pretty much have no money to manage so that’s sort of a moot point for me just now. What I do have is TIME. How I manage that time is as critical to my spiritual life as any financial management skills. Am I using my time to His glory or am I ‘slipping from the path’ and frittering it away?
Computer games, hundred of TV channels, novels – these are all tools. How I use them is my choice. Am I spending a few minutes in relaxation or losing hours in unproductive pursuits? Does the pastime enrich me or leave me feeling guilty? God has given us a precious capacity for play and recreation, but we have a human tendency to lose perspective and balance.
Where are you spending your time? Are you cultivating for the Kingdom with your activities? Do you feel satisfied and fulfilled at the end of the day, or irritated and frustrated with what you’ve done?
Father, thank You for the gift of time. Help me to use it wisely and to Your glory. Keep me on the path to You. Please help me to choose rightly when faced with a choice of activities.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
I have learned from hard experience how easy it is to be distracted by seemingly innocent behaviors. Suddenly time has passed; things I should have done are not done, while I’ve been doing something that bore no fruit. Have you ever had that happen to you? If so, you know what I mean.
There are days when it takes a concentrated effort on my part to stay on task. Some days it is easy to do. In both cases, at the end of the day I feel a deep contentment that I lack on those days when I don’t stay focused. Rather than disappointment over what I haven’t done, I have joy in what I accomplished. I like those days a lot better than the others.
There is a great deal of discussion and teaching on the subject of Christian money management. I am out of work and pretty much have no money to manage so that’s sort of a moot point for me just now. What I do have is TIME. How I manage that time is as critical to my spiritual life as any financial management skills. Am I using my time to His glory or am I ‘slipping from the path’ and frittering it away?
Computer games, hundred of TV channels, novels – these are all tools. How I use them is my choice. Am I spending a few minutes in relaxation or losing hours in unproductive pursuits? Does the pastime enrich me or leave me feeling guilty? God has given us a precious capacity for play and recreation, but we have a human tendency to lose perspective and balance.
Where are you spending your time? Are you cultivating for the Kingdom with your activities? Do you feel satisfied and fulfilled at the end of the day, or irritated and frustrated with what you’ve done?
Father, thank You for the gift of time. Help me to use it wisely and to Your glory. Keep me on the path to You. Please help me to choose rightly when faced with a choice of activities.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Finding the Path (Number 12 in a series)
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11 (KJV)
In Illinois, I lived in the heart of a suburban town. Within a few blocks of my home were stores, restaurants, filling stations and a bus stop if I chose to take public transit. Within a mile, I could access major highways and get to pretty much anywhere I wanted to go with reasonable ease.
The street numbering system made navigation around the area fairly straightforward. I ran around several counties with no problems at all. Quite a change from the convoluted streets I grew up with in New Orleans.
Out here in California, it’s another different story. The roads twist and turn through hills and mountains and even a relatively nearby location can mean miles of travel because of the intervening mountains dictating a meandering path. In many spots, the roads are only a little more than single vehicle-wide ways. There are blind spots and drop offs and other perils to be negotiated to get from A to B.
When I first arrived, I had to rely on the navigation system in my Blackberry to help me find my way around. I’m getting better at recognizing my surroundings, but I still like the help in finding the right route when I go to a new location. I like getting the warning of an upcoming turn, the indication of which lane I need to be in.
Life is a lot like that, isn’t it? Having a guide is helpful when faced with a new destination. For the Christian, that guide is God and His Word. He directs the paths we follow through life and will give us the “fulness of joy” if we will simply follow His roadmap. Unlike my little navigation system, He doesn’t give us “turn right – turn left” directions. Instead, He shows us the destination and accompanies us as we make the journey. There is no place we can desire to go where He doesn’t know the way.
Are you traveling with Him? Are you experiencing the joy the psalmist described in His presence? You can – just turn the controls over to Him rather than trying to plot the route yourself. He’ll show you the way.
© 2008 Mary Beth Magee
In Illinois, I lived in the heart of a suburban town. Within a few blocks of my home were stores, restaurants, filling stations and a bus stop if I chose to take public transit. Within a mile, I could access major highways and get to pretty much anywhere I wanted to go with reasonable ease.
The street numbering system made navigation around the area fairly straightforward. I ran around several counties with no problems at all. Quite a change from the convoluted streets I grew up with in New Orleans.
Out here in California, it’s another different story. The roads twist and turn through hills and mountains and even a relatively nearby location can mean miles of travel because of the intervening mountains dictating a meandering path. In many spots, the roads are only a little more than single vehicle-wide ways. There are blind spots and drop offs and other perils to be negotiated to get from A to B.
When I first arrived, I had to rely on the navigation system in my Blackberry to help me find my way around. I’m getting better at recognizing my surroundings, but I still like the help in finding the right route when I go to a new location. I like getting the warning of an upcoming turn, the indication of which lane I need to be in.
Life is a lot like that, isn’t it? Having a guide is helpful when faced with a new destination. For the Christian, that guide is God and His Word. He directs the paths we follow through life and will give us the “fulness of joy” if we will simply follow His roadmap. Unlike my little navigation system, He doesn’t give us “turn right – turn left” directions. Instead, He shows us the destination and accompanies us as we make the journey. There is no place we can desire to go where He doesn’t know the way.
Are you traveling with Him? Are you experiencing the joy the psalmist described in His presence? You can – just turn the controls over to Him rather than trying to plot the route yourself. He’ll show you the way.
© 2008 Mary Beth Magee
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