“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” John 14:6
I remember when I was young sitting beside my dad in the car. My hero drove with such confidence. But, I’d ask, “do you know where we are going?” “Yes”, he would answer. I’d sit and look out the window. “Are you sure you know how to get there?” “Of course, don’t worry.” Eyes gazing out the window, I’d again turn to my dad, “are you sure? This doesn’t look familiar.” He’d turn to me and smile, “just relax, I know.” My dad didn’t ask directions, he drove with confidence, of course he knew how to get to our destination, we’d been there dozens of times.
But, what do you do when you’ve never been to a destination? Today, we load up the address in our GPS. For a travel day with our RV, I will spend hours checking maps and routes for the journey. The GPS routes us along safe roads for the large dimensions of the RV. But, I check truck stops for diesel and familiarize myself with what the destination looks like. When possible, I look at the layout of the RV resort we’re staying in and even the spot.
Do we do that with life or our faith journeys? The Road of Faith is inherently an unknown journey. We travel roads through mountains and sometimes dark, potholed treks. How do we find the way? Not just the destination but the stops to refuel, and the routes around or through challenges.
Jesus tells us, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”, He not only is the Way, He knows the way. We need to turn to Jesus for directions. He has gone ahead to find the best route for our ‘Road of Faith.’ He was there ahead of us already and will be there along the way to point and guide.
If we spend hours setting up the waypoints to a vacation destination how much more should we be planning our trip to eternity? “Oh but there is no roadmap for this trip.” What about Jesus? What about the Bible?
The Bible is the ultimate roadmap to eternity. Along the way there are waypoint guides in the saints and the Church who can point and redirect our trip (like the bro hires at travel centers, they give us highlights of what we will find). And, not doubt, we need to turn to the One Who know the way, Who IS the Way – JESUS. How many times do we think we can find the way on our own when Jesus could guide us along a better way.
Start praying for guidance, “Jesus, You are the Way, show me the way to You, to the Father.”
Look to the Bible and to Jesus for your directions.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4