How do you know if you are on the right path? In your spiritual life, how do you know if you are going in the right direction or are wandering off in the wrong one? As Christians, we know that the key to staying on the right path is staying connected to Christ, but what does that look like and what results do we need to look for to know that we are moving in the right direction?
Lets start with talking about seeing the signs to knowing you are on the wrong path. We start to wander off the path when we start to wander away from Christ. We stop spending time in his word, praying, fellowshipping with other believers, attending church, etc. Even if you are doing each of these things, what is your motivation behind them? Are you doing it because you feel like you have to? Or because you know that’s what you should do and not actually what you want to do? Are you trying to keep up a façade to be the Christian you want people to think you are? Reflect on the motivations of your heart for doing the things you do in your spiritual life. And if there are things you are not doing, what made you stop or never start doing them?
Now for being on the right path. We know that we are on the right path when the true desires of our hearts are all directed towards and flowing from Christ. One way to stay on the right path is to consistently be in God’s Word. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). We need the Word of God to show us how to abide in him. We need to be taught how to reflect the character of God in everything we say and do. Another way to stay on the right path is to have a thriving prayer life. What kinds of things are you praying for? Is your prayer time about the wish list you have for God that you want him to come through on? Or is about humbling yourself to pray for those around you, and to ask God to transform you and make you more like Christ? Through prayer and connectedness to Christ, God can start to share the right path with us, one step at a time. We need to constantly seek him out, and he will always show us the way we should be going. “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:6).
When we are able to faithfully follow the right path, we bring glory to the name of God. “He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name” (Psalm 23:3b). We show the world who God is by the way we live our lives, and being on the right path is the best way to accomplish that. We don’t know how to bring glory to God unless who get to know him and fellowship with him regularly. We can’t learn more about his character and how he asks us to live for him if we don’t spend time with him. We need the Holy Spirit to show us how we can live for God more fully. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16). When you are on the right path, you will see your life wholly transformed.
So let me ask the question again - are you on the right path? My hope is that you will take some time and reflect on this. Where are you now and where do you want to be? It is never to late to get on the right path; all you need to do is call out to Jesus and take that first step.
This is an extra special post because it was created in collaboration with the young, free & faithful podcast, created and hosted by my brother, Justin! He has me as his special guest this week for: “Episode 2: Sister in Christ and Sister in Life”, to talk about my faith walk and how my relationship with Christ has impacted my life. Listen to the podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1759759. Available to stream on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and follow the podcast on Instagram: @youngfreeandfaithful.
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