Way vs. Where

Have you ever wondered how God usually works? He generally doesn’t tell us the final destination. He generally doesn’t describe your future. He gives us a path and asks us to trust Him for each step along the way. John chapter 14 has some interesting insight to how God works. Jesus taught by saying in John 14:4 “You know the way to the place where I am going.” Jesus went right to the heart of the matter. The important thing is knowing the way, following Jesus’ commands from the heart with love one day at a time, one step at a time. We complicate things by focusing energy on the ending/destination. We also stress ourselves out with burdens we were never intended to bare all because we rush ahead of where God wants us today.

It’s interesting that Thomas gives our typical human response in John 14:5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Thomas missed the point. The “where”, the future details are not important but the way is important. God wants us to trust Him one step at a time by faith. And He’ll prepare us and train us along the way for the final destination. But if you jump right to the Emerald City you’ll miss so many things God has planned for us along the way and we won’t be properly prepared once we get there.

When Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven He didn’t leave us helpless and lost. He sent the Holy Spirit just as He said He would do in John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit teaches us like our conscience. Not only does He teach us but He pleads with us. Check out the definition of Advocate: One who pleads in another’s behalf. The Holy Spirit pleads with us on behalf of Jesus to daily walk along the way God has told us to go. It can be scary to let go of control and stop trying to intricately plan out the details of our lives. But, that’s what God commands us to do. As a very wise man once said, “Take the next obvious step for the glory of God”. That’s what Abram did in Genesis 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Notice the future tense in that verse. God didn’t give him a google map with all the way points and stops laid out. He said take one step at a time and honor me with each step. Let’s do the same.