The Revelation
My right shoulder leaned on the stranger beside me before I jolted back to center in my seat. This happened five times already, and this time, I rolled my eyes. By now, you would think I’d be used to the rush hour traffic in Miami. This is the norm to be honest. But the way I’m wired, my frustrations with it are new every morning.
I scanned the bus to see if anyone was as irritated as I was. You know, when you make contact with someone and speak with your eyes, what you would rather not say with your mouth. Well, there was no one to connect with because they were all too busy scrolling on their phones. But something else caught my attention. A middle-aged man who sat across from me sported a fleece jacket with holographic words you couldn’t miss: Find Your Own Way.
I gazed at the saying for about 10 seconds before I glanced away. Eventually, traffic smoothed out, and the side-to-side leaning ceased. But my mind went on a quest for the rest of the ride as I pondered on the motto.
Before I dive in, I want to clarify that this excerpt is not written to condemn the stranger for what he chose to wear that day. Instead, it’s written to remind us about the importance of choosing God’s way over our own. And what better way to do that than to walk through God’s word to see what He has to say?
The Wake-Up Call
God, through Prophet Jeremiah, said to His people: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path and you will find rest for your souls” (Jer. 6:16).
A crossroad is a place with two or more roads. But the thing is, you can’t walk all of them at once. You must choose which path you will take. And God tells us what to do. Stop, look, ask, then walk. The world will tell you to find your own way. The world will have you on a restless hunt for a route that screams “self-made and self-empowered.” But before you even make a move, God wants you to stop and look. He wants us to seek Him about the way we should take. Worldly deadlines don’t allow us to stop. Ungodly introspection doesn’t allow us to seek. Your own way may seem good initially, but what does the end look like? Will this path ultimately pull you farther from God? Because “There’s a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12).
Many believers pray to God for direction, yet they claim He’s not answering. I should know because I was once that believer. But with time, I realized that God often answers us in ways we can miss if we are not still. It may not be an audible “No,” but instead a closed door, which inherently also means “No.” This way of God falls perfectly in line with Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.”
But some people go further and try to bust down the door that God has bolted shut. They want the door to open so badly that they’ll even pick the locks. But we must become like David and Job, who respectively say, “I have chosen the way of faithfulness…” and “He knows the way that I take…My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside” (Psalm 119:30; Job 23:10-11).
When your desires are stronger than God’s commands, you can abandon His way to find your own that will lead you to the desire He has already rejected. And that indicates that you don’t trust that He knows what’s best for you. For “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart” (Prov. 21:2).
We serve a God who seeks to instruct us in the way of wisdom and lead us along straight paths (Prov. 4:11). I mean, He’s sent His only begotten Son to be the “way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Without traveling on the way, we cannot have access to the Father.
The Realization
As I look back on my life, behind nearly every inward frustration, was a heart that wasn’t convinced that God is good. Because feelings will convince us that if He were good, we wouldn’t feel lost, or wounded, or empty. Being a believer doesn’t exempt you from life’s challenges. But it does put you at an advantage because you serve a God who will see you through it all. For “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Psalm 25:8-9).
God guides us in what is right because He knows how quickly things can go left. Sometimes finding your own way can lead you to another way—the way that sinners take. But the blessing is with those who avoid this route and pitstops to sit with mockers (Psalm 1:1). For believers, God has another way, the Way of Holiness. This way comes with challenges, but it’s the only fruitful way. Why journey on a route where the wicked and the unclean frequent? This way is filled with exits and destinations influenced by the world and sin (Isaiah 35:8).
The Benefit
Choosing God’s way will surely come with backlash from the enemy and from people who set their hearts on not understanding. They’ll say, “What’s the benefit of choosing God’s way? He takes too long, He always says “No,” and you lose all control!” Enemies of God would rather you have full control and end up in ruins than to lose all control yet have rest. Because “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him” (2 Sam. 22:31). God’s way grants you access to be shielded by Him. You can’t enjoy refuge in God on your own way, because He’s not there.
Choosing God’s way also means the supreme One of the universe will instruct you. We’ve all been instructed by teachers and professors, but no matter how smart or intelligent they are, their wisdom doesn’t amount to the Great I Am. No one can truly teach you in the way you should go; only God can counsel you with a loving eye on you (Psalm 32:8).
The Antidote
Think about the last time you were driving to meet a friend and became lost. No matter how many turns you made, you realized there are just some areas you are not familiar with, and driving around until you figure it out just won’t cut it. So what did you do? You called the friend who was already there (or already familiar with the area) to guide you.
Like Psalm 37:7 says, we must forsake our ways and our thoughts, turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on us. You must throw your hands up and say, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (Psalm 86:11).
Then, you must “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Isaiah 55:7). Being still reveals that you have truly surrendered. You don’t have to jump off God’s way when others are “succeeding” in their way, because you know what their end will be.
The Conclusion of the Matter
While I could have shared my testimony on finding God’s way, I decided to let God’s word speak on the topic (at least this time). God’s word is your way out of sin and destruction, two unavoidable things when you are on your own path. Here’s the conclusion the matter: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this,” (Psalm 37:5). Why? Because He makes known to us the path of life (Psalm 16:11).
