“The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.”
Psalm 25:8 NLT
There is a conspiracy of silence surrounding sin. I remember as a youth worker having to give talks to groups of teenagers about “not going too far” in a relationship with another, outside of marriage. I wondered at my own hypocrisy in giving these talks and also couldn’t imagine that leaders who’d walked this way ahead of me did not have their own stories of apparent compromise. The talks were always based around core principles without any personal illustration to ground the theory. I’m not seeking to redraw boundaries, I am merely acknowledging that my hormones can overwhelm my best of intentions. Still the silence continues.
I once had a meal with a group of fellow leaders and raised this point. The conversation moved on, yet I felt a distinct lack of authenticity. The reality is, God accepts us as we are, and only as we seek God’s path do we unearth it for ourselves. Even as we discover it, it can take quite a number of attempts to follow it directly. These attempts are the false turns we wander down during our walk.
What I love about God is, like a good parent, he never gives up on us. Whatever wrong turning we take, God is ready and willing to guide us back onto the best path, if we will cooperate. Even a delay in response on my part does not deter God from offering encouragement and help. Of course, it is down to me to establish how to access that help, and this is where I have a choice to make; press on with my own course of action or return to God.
Each one of us has a distinct path to walk with God. There is no form of generic Christian discipleship, which is why models of Christian behaviour are well-nigh impossible to establish. God has made each one of us unique and so each of us needs coaching by God’s Spirit how we might walk God’s way, given our unique make-up. Herein lies the fun of discipleship.
QUESTION
What does discipleship look like for you?
PRAYER
Lord, show me the path you have for me and how best to follow you.
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