Leading The Way

Here are some thoughts on finding the way.

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And Thomas said to Jesus, “but we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14: 5 – 6) We often feel that we don’t know where we are gong and all the signs either point us in a thousand different directions or more confusion.

Marilyn Ferguson wrote in the Aquarian Conspiracy, “We find our individual freedom by choosing not a destination but a direction.” In Alice in Wonderland, Alice was told that “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” (a paraphrase of the dialogue between Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland)

The first thing that you have to do when you think that your life is headed in the wrong direction or you aren’t even sure where you are going, is to stop for a moment or two and look around at where you are.

We want our freedom, the freedom to choose where and in which direction to go. Society, vis-a-vis our friends, family, etc., tells us to follow the crowd. And sometimes, because we are confused or uncertain, it is quite easy to follow the crowd and let others make the choices for us.

Remember what Jesus told the Pharisees, “seek the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 32) The Pharisees saw themselves as free and totally missed the point because they were tied to a rigorous adherence to the law. Your thoughts are not your own when you must adhere to society’s exact rules.

There are some rules that you must absolutely obey but you have to understand why and not just obey them automatically. When society dictates that you must do something, you have to ask why.

Jesus offers you a chance to break free from a structure that enslaves us and makes it easy for others to tell you what to do. He gives you the ability to choose for yourself instead of just following the crowd.

Making your own decisions is tough. When Thomas asked Jesus, in a cry of anguish or exasperation, where they were headed, he was echoing the thoughts that all the disciples probably had.

Today’s society wants us to make decisions for today and just today; tomorrow will take care of itself. Decisions we make with and about Jesus as to what we are going to do with our lives are decisions about tomorrow and the future.

So we sit by ourselves, looking at where we are today and wondering or even perhaps hoping that tomorrow will be better, or perhaps, we hear Jesus calling us, as He did the disciples, to follow Him.

In His call, we will see a path, perhaps several paths. We ask what would you have me do, Lord? What would you like to do? What skills do you have? How can you use those skills to help people? What must I do today, what must I begin today so that I can continue tomorrow?

We all reach this point at some time in our lives. Some have turned away, feeling the choices and the decisions are too great a burden. But in seeking Christ, our hearts and minds are open to endless possibilities, possibilities that will take us into the future.

There is a traditional hymn that tells us to turn our eyes to Jesus. And when we do so, we find the strength and comfort we need so we know where are going and how we will get there.