You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11 NKJV
In the book of Acts, the first followers of Jesus had another term designated for their lives other than Christians, which came much later. They were called people of The Way. Jesus both preached about a new way of living and demonstrated how citizens of the kingdom of God were to live. Jesus spent most of His teaching time trying to help people understand the difference between the worlds system of conduct and the values and actions of a follower of God. The transformation was so drastic in the new converts others wanted to know how to follow that lifestyle. They wanted to get on this new path of life. They wanted to be people of The Way that Jesus offers.
There is much talk about what life will be like after the COVID19 crisis is over. There has been major disruptions in our pattern of living. It is this context that we must remember that the path of life is not a what but a who. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
We are comfortable with order and structure and that is good. There is consistency of times and season to which we plan our gardens, work, times of eating and sleeping. We need this structure to navigate life. But there is more.
The structure of the path of life that Jesus offers is one of dependency. At the very beginning of our relationship with Jesus, we surrender the core of who we are to His lordship and love. This dependency upon the person of Jesus and Holy Spirit never goes away and only becomes stronger. We draw strength for the things that Jesus leads us to do, by verses like, “I can do all things through Christ who give me strength.” Notice the strength is in a person, not a system of rules to follow.
This dependency path of life in following Jesus is not easy, but it is rewarding. The Psalmist says that we can expect the fullness of joy. He did not say the fullness of an easy path. He says that there will be abundance of joy for the journey. The end results keeps getting better and better into a forever life.
Following the path of life in Jesus bears the fruit of fullness of joy. May you make the adjustments necessary to live everyday in this type of joy and satisfaction of life. Questions for you to consider.
- Do I know how to adjust my life to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave to me?
- Have I unconsciously pushed Jesus away from certain areas of my life and conduct that I still want to control? If yes, what are those areas?
- How could my desire for wanting to live within rules and structure, limit me from integrating dependency upon Jesus?
The path of life is not a what, but a who, Jesus. Trust in the Lord and He will direct your path. That trust is dependency. As you move forward, continue to practice leaning on Jesus for all aspects of your life. If you seek Him, you will find HIm. He will lead you in the Way that you should go.
Blessings Love y’all