Get On Board

     I opened the window to let in some cool air, as I read my Bible this morning, and heard a train whistle blow in the distance. The Lord brought to mind this thought, "The train must stay the course to complete its mission. If it chooses its own path, it will derail and not be able to carry the goods that people need along the line. If it derails, it becomes a burden, not a blessing. Once off its path, it must then be carried away by people and its cargo will likely be ruined and thrown away." 

    In my own life, when I have gone my own way, not heeding the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I often became derailed and thus a pile of rubble with little to offer others and often a burden to myself and those around me. It is difficult to use my gifts and talents for the Lord if I am trying to also use them to impress others and gain personal success. Trust me, I've tried it, it doesn't work! You end up with spoiled cargo that must be thrown away as it doesn't serve a godly purpose anymore. 

    How do we stay the course for the Lord and live lives that glorify God and serve others? Matthew 4:8-10, reminds believes of what Jesus did when tempted by the devil to serve himself rather than God, "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.' Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" So we must rebuke the devil and quote scripture rather than listen to the lies that we deserve a kingdom for ourselves here on earth.

    How else can we stay the course for Christ? Luke 9:23-25 reminds Christians that following Christ can be difficult, "Then he [Jesus] said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" This rebuke is a reminder that the Christian walk is not going to be easy and if we cling to our fleshly desires for earthly comforts, we will miss out on a deep and satisfying relationship with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and the call He has on our lives.  

    We do have choices to make to stay the course God has set out for us, but how can we trust we are heading in the right direction? How can we know that we are hearing God correctly, as He is our "train whistle" warning us at the intersections of our lives? Psalm 119:104-106 maps out our steps, "I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." 

    God allows us to make our own way in life, if that is what we choose, but He also gives us His word (the Bible) to follow if we are willing to give up our own way and walk in His light that clearly illuminates the right path on which we should adhere. We can then be those travelers who use our God-given gifts and talents for His glory and thus help other passengers along life's journey to get on board and come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and friend. A choice for Jesus saves us all from eternal derailment.