path-choise

  • Success comes from having the right goals
  • Significance comes from proper use of time
  • Fulfillment comes from serving others
  • Satisfaction comes from living a quality life
  • Happiness comes from wanting what we have
  • Fun come from enjoying life moment by moment
  • Security comes from focusing on eternal values
  • Peace comes from quieting the inner storm

By intentionally spending time with God every day and remaining in the divine identity given through Christ, we will continue to move towards the maturity that will be perfectly fulfilled in eternity. As Christians, we have been sealed with Christ along with every blessing extended to and through Christ; we will never lose our relationship with Christ. None can match His power nor His love. His promises are eternal, and death is only the beginning of the true life meant to be lived within the glory of God.
            Christ has redeemed us for both a mortal purpose and an immortal purpose. As we spiritually mature over time, we see how this life is being used to reach others and to prepare us to have a full life in Christ. Although we are bombarded with thoughts and temptations to turn our attention and identity elsewhere, we must remain under the protective armor of Christ and not put any item, goal, or person above Christ and His eternal purpose. If we reach a point where we misdirect our spiritual focus and become falsely satisfied with where we are, we will voluntarily subject ourselves to the deceptive influences of the enemy and will begin to move down a spiritually destructive path. A conscious effort is made on our part to keep ourselves rightly focused and from being victimized by the enemy, but we need not resort to a hollow life of legalism and fear. We cannot earn God’s approval; in eternity past, we have already been given every spiritual blessing and the infinite love of Christ. Life in Christ is a living, breathing relationship that is nurtured by our daily response to the never-ending love of Christ.
            As we daily respond to the calling and the love of Christ, we should go forward with full confidence in who Christ is and who we are in Christ. We can be content in all situations and release to God the circumstances that are beyond our control, allowing these to drive us to the loving arms of our sovereign Lord. God created each of us with a unique purpose, and we will only be fully satisfied in this life by walking down this path that has been set before us; although filled with mystery, the steps down this path have been ordered and blessed by the hand of God, which gives us comfort through every stage of our journey. Even when we are tempted to question the sovereignty of God or to become filled with doubts as we look at another person’s path, gifts, or blessings, we are able to be comforted by the truth of God’s word, His revealed hand in our lives, and the witness of the Holy Spirit within us. God’s idea of success is wrapped within His purpose and how our path has been intricately plotted within His full design. God knows the bigger picture, and resting within His understanding and thriving within His purpose provide us with true joy and fulfillment in this mortal life. And, because of His sovereignty, He can use our lives to speak to others. Our testimony is His story, His love, and His mercy tangibly expressed and displayed in the here and now.
            As we stay focused on God’s goal, we enter into an eternal perspective and remain on the path that He has ordered for our lives. We are able to rightly view our time and our gifts as a ministry that God can use. Through a willful, daily surrender of ourselves, we will be investing in the eternal. All earthly goals bring about temporary drive and satisfaction, which eventually vanish. But, since God is eternal, every God-centered goal and action creates an eternal investment. Because of our eternal identity with Christ and Heavenly citizenship, we know that all of our needs of acceptance, security, and significance will be perfectly satisfied in eternity. In light of this view that God has revealed to us through Christ, we are moved in our spirit by the love of God and feel a drawing towards the eternal aspects of life. Consequently, we are able to feel assured that we can boldly face whatever challenge comes our way because we hear His voice and can move forward regardless. The writings of Paul display this confident assurance and eternal perspective, as he guarantees the joy found in living for Christ and the confidence in His provision. Christ revealed that all of His children are not identified by the past but by the love, the security, the acceptance, and the significance that the risen Son of God has extended. Although Paul had suffered many perils, he knew that a personal God of love was sustaining him and had sealed his life for a purpose that no person nor power could block. Despite earthly trouble, he could joyfully thrive, knowing that he was dwelling within the merciful hand of the Father who had prepared the way and met all his needs, beyond human expectation and explanation. Paul had personally experienced the hand of Christ reaching down to touch His life and change his heart, which provided a platform for an unwavering faith that was fully satisfied in the eternal person of Christ.
            This willful, personal involvement of Christ in our lives drives us to a voluntary life of service to Christ and to a confidence that He has sovereignly gone before us to make our pathway straight. As we clearly discern the voice of God through a living, daily relationship, we allow the peace of Christ to reign within our souls. Because of this, we can confidently walk through any situation, stay focused on who we are in Christ, and see the revealed hand of God who defines our life in Him and through His vision of perfection. In Christ, we have full joy, acceptance, security, significance, and identity. In Christ, we are free.