“There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.”
– Proverbs 16:25
Our culture tells us from the earliest age to be true to ourselves and follow our hearts. This is the theme of countless shows and movies for kids. It’s the theme of our radically autonomous culture that demands approval, affirmation, and celebration of whatever anyone chooses or declares for themself.
Unfortunately, all that’s a deadly lie! Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.” Following our own natural desires, leadings, and paths without regard for God’s good and unchanging plan for human flourishing is the road to disaster.
All of us disobey God’s plan and will in ways large and small. All of us separate ourselves from our loving and kind Creator by rebelling against Him. The outcome of this is appropriate judgment and condemnation followed by eternal separation from God that our pursuit of self embodied. The final outcome is hell.
In God’s mercy, He has graciously provided a path to life, abundant and eternal life to be enjoyed now and forever. That life comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who sacrificed Himself on a cross to pay the penalty for our rebellion against God. By His death and resurrection, Jesus has opened the way to life. However, we must each personally choose that way by embracing the Lordship of Jesus over our lives. We must believe in Him and submit our lives to His leadership. We must follow a new way, the way, His Way – the life of a committed follower of Jesus.