A Different Way Of Doing Life

If you are like me, you want the things you do to be without much impediment or difficulty. A walk in the park – no growling dogs chasing you. An easy ride – the fewer potholes and detours that you encounter, the better. A calm flight – no eddies of rough air. Smooth sailing – peaceful waters, free of big waves and strong winds. However, life is anything but a walk in the park, an easy ride, a calm flight, or smooth sailing. Yes, there are many times when all goes as planned, times we are thankful for, but there are also plenty of times when we will have dogs chasing us, potholes that rattle our bones, detours to take us off course, sometimes into the unknown, turbulence that bounces us around, waters and winds that threaten to capsize our boat.   

Following God’s perfect plan for your life isn’t always smooth either. It is a different way of doing life. Yes, among many good things, there will be unexplainable peace (John 14:27); safety in the storm and from the storm (Nahum 1:7); overflowing joy (Psalm 4:7); provision, protection, preservation (Psalm 23); and fullness of life (John 10:10). But there will also be tall mountains to climb, deep valleys to ride through, narrow rickety bridges high above the ground to cross, storms that will “rain on your parade,” hot dry deserts that will leave you parched, and raging rivers ready to drown you. Sometimes you will need to zipline through the trees, not always sure where the line is taking you. It is a different way of doing life.

You will likely have more questions than answers. God often works in ways that just do not make sense. He asked Isaiah to walk naked for three years (Isaiah 20:1-3). Instead of quickly and decisively attacking Jericho, God told Joshua and the Israelites to walk around the city for a week (Joshua 6:1-4). In Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers (37:26-28) and later on, imprisoned by Potiphar on trumped up charges (39:1-20).

You will be asked to run when you just want to walk. There will be rest stops when you really don’t want to rest, detours that seem out of the way. And there will be times when you want to sing “Thanks for the advice, but I’ll do it my way.”

We find these words in Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way” (GNT).

So, today I ask you – Do you trust God enough to follow His plan, His path, in every situation, even when it doesn’t make sense or looks too difficult? God promises to be with you in it all. The name given to Jesus – Immanuel – means “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23, which fulfills prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14.)

Ask God today for the gift of ever-increasing faith so He can put new lyrics in your heart; lyrics that sing, “God, I’ll do it Your way!” It is a different way of doing life.

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