One of the things people often talk about is purpose, finding it, following it, having one or some. Humanity feels settled when there is a sense of purpose, we feel like we fit, there is reason, order, flow. If we understand the ‘why’ we will endure a lot of things along the way.
All people want to have purpose, it is part of our developmental fulfilment. Life on The Narrow Way goes beyond purpose, because the good way, the Narrow Way often defies what we understand as purpose.
When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose to follow God Who Sees Beyond Our Ability To See. He is outside of all the structures we know and understand. This gives us a scope for living which was not available to us before we chose this life.
As we grow, we need to be prepared to sacrifice our need to understand why. It is enough to know that God is. It is a deliberate choice to live on the edge of safety, which turns out to be the safest place in eternity.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
God Himself is always Good. This means when we were called by Him to this life and we responded to Him, He already had everything we needed to follow through with whatever He called us to.
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16 (NIV)
Our purpose is to follow Jesus. Wherever He leads us, to be who He has made us to be, and to do those things He has made us to do. He hasn’t made us to be carbon copies, but to be unique and to reflect Him to the world.
This is done by being single minded and integrated. Our focus should be having God in all of who we are, not leaving Him out of anything. Not allowing ourselves to close off some part of who we are due to shame, forgetfulness, or even by thinking He would not be interested in something we consider mundane.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV)
The Narrow Way is a deliberate choice to live as Jesus taught us, and as He leads us.
It is the place of adventure into His unknown. To take Him into the places where light needs to dispel darkness, to do the work so others may see His Face and know His Love more easily.
He has given His life, we have given Him our lives. These things are not easy, but they are good. They are what we are called to.
“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. Isaiah 40:3-5 (NIV)
What do you need to live The Narrow Way in the place you are called? Are you in the place He has called you to?
What may look to you or to others like a simple place, an ordinary place, a mundane place, may be a place of great triumph because you choose to give Him all of who you are and work with Him to bring All of Who He Is into your everyday.
Do not underestimate your importance to God.
Do not underestimate the importance of what He has called you to.
Walk The Narrow Way.
God Bless You Very Much.
Anita
"There are no safe paths in this part of the world. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go." Gandalf to Bilbo, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit.