GOD’S WAYS GIVE LIFE
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life –Jesus
I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly. –Jesus
Today I have set before you life and good, death and evil. –God
What an astonishing contrast between true Christianity and the culture of death that surrounds us. Just ponder for a moment—The culture kills babies. Kills marriages. Kills meaningful parenting. Kills the joy and blessing of having children. Kills mental and emotional health. Kills financial well-being and independence. Kills freedom, by enslaving you to deadly diets, deadly addictions, deadly ideas, and deadly habits. Kills life-giving morals, character and enriching values. The list goes on and on.
True, Biblical Christianity is the most wonderful, life-giving force, in the entire universe. Our God is a God of life, blessing, and so much good.
There’s not a day that goes by that I do not reflect on the incredible blessings that have come into my life in the last 50 years, as I have followed Jesus Christ and his ways. He truly is The Way – The Truth – The Life.
At 69 years of age I have a compelling, strategic vantage point. I’ve lived my entire adult life, for the last 50 years, walking with God and walking in His ways. It has been an amazing journey. I can give trustworthy witness to the truth that Jesus Christ gives an abundant life. The stark contrast between the people of this world and their ways of death versus the life I have lived the last 50 years are astounding.
The people of this world’s mental and emotional health are unstable and crumbling. Mine has become stable, steady, and strong as a result of following God’s life giving commands and principles.
The people of this world’s finances are an absolute mess. Very, very few build real wealth, their possessions are a facade, and they’re slaves to debt. Mine is the opposite – truly life-sustaining, all as a result of following God’s wise, financial ways, and God’s blessings. As I followed God’s ways, over time they grew stronger and stronger.
The people of this world’s marriages are so empty, lifeless, and unsatisfying. Mine is the opposite because of Jesus Christ, and our submission and obedience to His life-giving ways. Of course it takes both me and my wife, each following God’s ways of life, for our marriage to be fulfilling and life-giving. Many Christians have a spouse that refuses to follow God’s life giving ways, and the result is very destructive.
The people of this world’s experience raising children, by and large, is filled with frustration and pain. It’s one of the reasons so few people have, or want children. They see them as a curse not a blessing. Our child raising years were a tremendous blessing, filled with much love, joy, and enjoyment because of the life-giving, parenting wisdom and principles of God.
The people of this world’s overall health is extremely poor as a result of following the terrible health and diet habits of a world that brings death. My health overall is thriving from following the disciplined, life-giving ways of God’s advice and principles in the Word of God.
The people of this world are enslaved to their passions, desires, wants, and appetites. They do not know the way to freedom. My life as a devoted Christ-follower has been filled with experience after experience of true freedom—of living and experiencing a truly free life. It was for freedom Christ set us free. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to have my freedom.
The people of this world live unrestrained, undisciplined, unsatisfying lives. Mine has been so rich, so meaningful, so purposeful and life-giving, as a result of walking the narrow path of life Jesus laid out for us.
The people of this world love and serve the idol-gods of this culture and their materialistic pleasures. It brings them only misery, pain, debt, and death. I chose to love the Lord God with all my heart and soul, to commit myself to him with my whole heart, to obey him first and foremost. It has brought me much life, joy, peace, rich satisfaction, and wonderful blessings.
The people of this world live for themselves and their own selfish desires, which are never, ever satisfied. The way they have chosen ends in death. I took up my cross, died to myself and my own desires. I lost my life for Christ’s sake and for others, and I found rich, meaningful life, just as Jesus promised.
The people of this world experience much shame, guilt, and great fear of death. They do not know what it means to be or feel forgiven, or look forward to a life forever in heaven. Theirs is a life of dread and turmoil. Mine has been brimming with the joy of God’s love and forgiveness, with all shame and guilt removed, and the incredible expectation of living forever in a new body, in the new heaven and new earth with Jesus Christ, free of all pain, sorrow, and suffering.
The people of this world despise and loathe the one true God. They know only the poisonous bitter fruit of rebellion. I have known the amazing joy of knowing and loving the one true God, Jesus Christ, and passionate devotion to Him. I have experienced the deep, rich satisfaction of his friendship, and the abundance of life and comfort that comes from God. Psalm 63 has been my life’s experience—the very best thing in my life.
Has my life had pain and sorrow? Absolutely. I have had trials and tribulations, persecutions, suffering, heartache, and loss. I have known trouble and injustice, anguish and grief. If you took a snapshot of specific moments and seasons of my life, some would look horrible and gruesome. But the ongoing path of my life has resulted in so much good, blessing, and life. Even those excruciating trials of life deepened my character and my relationship with Christ. As the scripture says “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, it grows brighter and brighter.”
Many of you are much younger than I am. You’ve traveled God’s path for much less time. There may be times you’ve wondered to yourself, as you are going through hard and difficult times, “Should I stick with God’s ways? They don’t seem to be working.” I promise you – stick with them, even in those down, dark times, for you will receive the promised blessings if you don’t grow weary and give up God’s ways.
I urge you, take the time today to reflect on your life compared to the lives of those around you. Observe for yourself the wonderful life that God has given you as a result of your choice to follow him.
Please take a moment to reflect on this verse. Some of you may have never seen it before. Ask yourself honestly, what choices have you made with respect to this verse? Is He your life?
Deuteronomy 30:15
Today I have given you a choice between life and death, between blessings and curses, I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life!
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
