You don’t know where you’re going
A few years ago, Jodi and I had the opportunity to visit some dear friends in China. We had our son with us, who was 11 at the time, and he was feeling pretty big about himself for getting to come along on the trip, so often times he would run ahead of us when we were walking the streets of Xian (1 million people), saying he’ll meet us back at the apartment. I would get frustrated with him, and say, “Bud! You don’t know where you are, you can’t speak the language – If you get separated from us, there’s no way you can explain where you belong and where you’re trying to go!”
In John 14, Jesus is speaking with his disciples at his Last Supper (which was only the Last Supper to him – they had no idea), and says, “I’m going away to prepare a place for you – you know the way to get there.”
One of the disciples, named Thomas, pipes up and says, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. How are we supposed to know how to get there?”
Me Too!
I wonder how many of you have ever felt that way?
You know you’re supposed to read your Bible and pray; you know church is important; you know singing in church is important, and that you don’t do any of those things as much as you should. You think you need to know better theology, or more information about Jesus before you can worship him, or really be counted as a serious Believer. You think you should be leading a Bible Study, winning your co-workers to Jesus, telling your employees your testimony often, and all of those things are great!
But look at how Jesus answers Thomas’s question:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6
Just stop it
Too often we think the way to God is theological knowledge, or “Good Christian” performance. But Jesus doesn’t think so. He says the way to God is simple: It’s him! Which means we get to heaven, not on our theological knowledge, but on Jesus’s perfect theological worship! We don’t get to God because of our Good Christian performance, but because of Jesus’s perfect Christian performance! We don’t get there because we love God perfectly, but because Jesus did! We don’t get there because we somehow came up with the penance to pay for our own sin, but because Jesus paid for our sin!
Take a minute today to stop trying to get to God on your own merit. Pause and thank God for sending Jesus to accomplish what you could not. And rest in his deep love and provision for you!
– Rodney
