Which Path?

Proverbs 3:5-6

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:6)

ROBERT FROST WROTE of two roads diverging in a yellow wood, and sorry that he could not travel both, chose the one less traveled.^a Many who have followed Jesus throughout the centuries have felt the same way—that the road less traveled has made all the difference—though in a sense, the path of discipleship has been well traveled because of them. In any case, we face choices in this life, decisions about which road to take, which stream to drift in, and how much resistance we are willing to face in the process. Some of us will find the way of Jesus to fit nicely into our culture; others will find his direction for our lives to go against the forces surrounding us. The right road isn’t the one more or less traveled; it’s the one God leads us to follow. Finding it is rarely an easy process.

Martin Luther was one of those who followed his convictions and found them assaulted at every turn. He remained resolute when standing before the imperial assembly. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church movement felt compelled to choose a direction that would put their lives in danger. Whichever way God leads you, it will go against your culture at some point, even if only in apparently minor ways. Your resistance against the streams of travelers along the world’s ways may never be as dramatic as that of Luther or Bonhoeffer, but it is important anyway—not for the sake of playing the role of antagonist, which no one appreciates, but for the sake of demonstrating the true course of the Kingdom. It flows against the world’s ways, and it’s easy for many believers to get caught up in the wrong movement. Your job is to get caught up in the right one and to invite others into it, in love. God is far more interested in your path than you are. He will help you find it, and that will make all the difference.

{Lord, direct my steps, even when I’m not confident in the direction I’ve received. Whether looking forward or reflecting on the past, help me recognize your guidance. Make my path one of lasting influence and impact. Amen.