The Road Less Traveled

There are so many options in life, so many choices, so many different ideas of the way we’re supposed to live, how much fun we should be having, the places we should be seeing, what we should have done, what we shouldn’t have done…Our society is filled with too much worldliness staring at us, provoking us into temptations of the world. So many seemingly 'innocent' choices can doom our world almost instantly. Our little bubbles of safety can pop with a wrong turn, a turn that we made- choosing to not follow God's road... The Road Less Traveled.  I don’t know about you—but I am exhausted. I think ‘choices’ are great. However, I think commitments are greater. From listening to people talk- Christians and non-Christians—Everyone is so wrapped up in being happy- what makes them happy… Don’t get me wrong- God wants His children to be happy, just look at Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” But (In my own opinion) I feel the phrase, ‘God wants me to be happy’, is strongly abused. In Psalm 37:5, David begins saying- “’Commit your way to the Lord’, trust, also in Him and He will bring it to pass.” But what do we have to do first? Commit our ways to the Lord… Delight ourselves in the Lord! That doesn’t mean live a carefree life and expect God to bless us. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to be ‘happy’ all of the time. Happiness is a fickle emotion that cannot be trusted. True inner happiness can be obtained in a palace or a prison- It comes from God’s living spirit in us- Jesus, simple as that. I know of many Christians who have suffered from this, myself included- running around trying to create our own happiness and using the excuse to not finish something we started by saying- ‘Well God wants me to be happy’. Looking back at times in my life where I justified sin, saying God just wants me to be happy- is a bold face lie from the devil himself. It is a trap that has so many strong Christians entangled in its snare.

            My heart is aching for all of the people suffering from broken homes, broken marriages. I can’t help but sense that many of this brokenness is caused by so much worldliness surrounding our lives. So many temptations and ‘wrong roads’ that appear so tempting and innocent can poison our lives and our homes in literally a blink of an eye. We have no room or time for complacency.

            Now is the time for Christian Families to stand strong and firm… I love the verse: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Jeremiah 24:15.

            “As for me and my household we will serve the Lord”… that should reverberate in our hearts and off our tongues into the air surrounding the walls of our homes everyday… We should remember this in our entertainment- movies we allow ourselves to watch, music we allow to penetrate into our mind and hearts… where the mind goes- the man follows. The enemy is here and is seeking to destroy the Kingdom of God. Yes, we know his destiny, but we still need to be in protection mode regarding our loved ones. Parents- pray for your children, wanna be parents- pray for your future children, husbands- the head of the household- don’t forget to pray for your wives, and wives—pray for your husbands, every day. Pray for his protection physically and spiritually. Pray a hedge of protection around him. Pray the Lord guides his footsteps, and guides his thoughts. There is power in prayer. Wives: I recommend you read the book ‘Power of a Praying Wife’ by Stormie Omartian—AMAZING and anointed!

            The environments we allow ourselves to become susceptible to can ultimately define our character and influence our lifestyles greatly. We need to watch what we allow our minds to consume. A little bit of poison goes a long way. When we allow the world and seemingly ‘harmless’ things infect our godly character and choices, our environments suffer, our loved ones suffer, our homes suffer. I’ve heard so many times: what we do and how we act in our ‘midnight hour’ or when no one is watching can speak more about our character than any other part of our lives. Just remember… God is always watching. It’s time to be diligent in putting on the full armor of God daily. No more complacency, no more brokenness, no more chasing happiness and not appreciating the life and people right in front of us. So many of us forget- to whom much is given, much is expected. It’s not just about what makes us ‘happy’ for a moment- it’s about the choices and actions we take in glorifying the Kingdom of God. It’s not about our happiness, it’s about putting aside ourselves and lifting our neighbors up- our Brothers and Sister’s in Christ. Stay strong and be of great fervor and tenacity in being committed to God, and our families. These are the most precious gifts we as humans can ever obtain. Our relationship with Jesus is sacred and ours, no one can take it away from us. Husbands- your wives are precious- they are the crown of creation- treat them that way. Wives- your husbands are your spiritual leaders, your protector and provider- let them be, don’t try to ‘out do’ them or be in competition of who wears the pants in the relationship so to speak- Let them build their castle, slay their dragon, and rescue their princess- you.  

          We should have the Fear of God in us... This is a good thing. To fear The Lord means to obey His commandments. We are safe and secure in His Will and ways. No harm can come to us. Deuteronomy is a great example of this. "And you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them." Deuteronomy 28:14. I recommend reading Deuteronomy 28:15-68-- It will beget the fear of the Lord in you.