We have a God who (thankfully)
allows us to make U-Turns in life! As we discussed in our Easter Sunday
message, repentance is a word that
means a literal change in the way we think and live. If you are going the wrong way in life, then make a U-Turn to
start living the right way. But know this: your U-Turn is not the
destination in and of itself, but the beginning of a brand new journey.
This is important for us to acknowledge, lest we think that all we need to do
is make a U-Turn and then end the journey right then and there.
As Jesus was teaching and preparing
His disciples for His inevitable departure, He said,
“I
am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart
from me” (John
14:6, The Message). This teaching gives us the explicit idea that Jesus isn’t
merely the destination, because He is also the road by which we travel! In our
U-Turn, Jesus is inviting us to join Him on His road — Jesus Road — the road
that leads to God.
All too often, we have a dead-end
experience and we know we must make a U-Turn, but before too long, we are right
back on the same road as before. Jesus is intent on showing us the right way, but we still choose the wrong way. The GOOD NEWS is God is
gracious and loving and allows us to make another U-Turn to leave the wrong way and get back on the right way…the Jesus Road.
Traveling along the Jesus Road will
leave us changed, no doubt about it. This is threatening for some. I can
remember sharing my faith with someone years ago who thought that following
Jesus meant that we could never have any fun. Sadly, this is an indictment on
the way many believers live out their faith; either inconsistently or so
woefully lacking joy. Following Jesus isn’t about never enjoying life, because
it is about experiencing a life we could never ever dream of apart from Him.
In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads
to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life,
and only a few find it.” There is an inherent paradox in this teaching,
which is for those on the path to destruction, the Jesus Road seems so
restrictive and constrictive, but in reality, following Christ reveals a whole
new path full of life-giving love that we would otherwise never experience. But
again, the Jesus Road leaves us changed.
Once we make the U-Turn, leaving
the wrong way for the right way on the Jesus Road, we also
begin to see things that we never saw previously. The Lord enlightens our
hearts, eyes, and ears to suffering in the world, the blight of the needy, and
cries of the oppressed seeking truth and life. Our journey along Jesus Road, therefore,
becomes one of reaching out in love and concern for those who need it so
desperately. Traveling along Jesus Road, we begin to sense the brokenness of
the world in ways we never did before, and the Casting Crowns song lyric all of
a sudden makes sense: “Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours.”
God is inviting you on a journey to
Him down Jesus Road, and He wants you to use your resources and relationships
wisely to help others reach their heavenly destination, too. Have you ever
experienced a burden well up within you so powerfully that you uttered
rhetorically, “Somebody ought to do something about that”? Have you considered
that you might very well be that somebody? God wants to use your life as you
travel the right way down Jesus Road
to help others find their dead-end, make their U-Turn, and join you on the
journey to God.
Who has God placed in your life?
What burdens has God placed in your heart? What resources has God given you to
help you be that somebody who can
make an eternal difference for another? Make that U-Turn…get on Jesus Road…help
others get there, too!
You can watch the video for this message by clicking here.
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