“…Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” – Psalm 143:8
Have you ever rolled down the car window to ask for directions and received an answer like this?
“Yeah, go down about four blocks, turn right, then a left, I mean the second left… you’ll see the diner, not the old diner, but the new one… make a right, go past Ms. Johnson’s house, and you should see it on the left… I think.”
Now imagine if that person actually escorted you to your destination, instead of giving confusing directions. You wouldn’t have to figure out the way, because that person would become “the way.”
That was an analogy about Jesus personifying “the way” that I heard from Rev. Phil Greenwald in a recent Wednesday Night Alive (WNA) class. Jesus even said, “I am the way” in John 14:6. By learning about Him, Jesus Christ personally escorts us to God the Father.
Of course, we strengthen our faith in Christ by reading the Bible. The knowledge we gain is priceless, and not just for ourselves.
In 1 Peter 3:15, we are urged to “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you.” In other words, if someone asks us, “Why do you believe in God?” – what will we say? Our answer can either confuse the questioner, much like bad directions, or pique their interest.
In a recent Pew Research survey, young Christians are leaving the church at an alarming rate. The number one reason? They simply no longer believe. Some said their views about God had “evolved” during college, or they agreed with the Karl Marx quote, “religion… is the opiate of the masses.” They now view religion as void of rational thought, evidence of a creator, or relevance to their lives.
They’ve obviously never seen the Lee Strobel movie, The Case for Christ, which documents a skeptic’s investigation into the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Lee learns that hundreds of eyewitness accounts corroborate the four Gospels. He calculates the mathematical impossibility of anyone else fulfilling every prophecy the way Jesus did. He also marvels at the historical evidence that proves the resurrection of Christ from the heavily-guarded tomb.
Once Lee gave faith a chance, his life was forever transformed.
Bible studies like the Disciple classes can also help us develop and defend our faith. So can Sunday School classes, WNA studies, etc. Our efforts to learn more about God’s grace and love will draw us closer in relationship to Him.
Inevitably, we’ll be able to do what Peter asked of us: offer clear and concise directions to someone who is trying to find the way.
Ed Doney, Staff Writer
