Which way now?

It really happened! When asking directions a long time ago in West Cork I was told, “If I wanted to go there, I wouldn’t start from here!” . The man’s reply to me had a note of astonishment that asked If you were going to this other place how did you manage to get so badly off track?

When you are lost and seeking guidance it is good to be told the truth about how lost you really are. I remember my father driving around in an old Ford car that gushed black smoke from the exhaust. He loved exploring different routes and enjoyed driving up grass lined roads just for the fun of it. Very often these roads led into a remote farmyard miles later. He preferred (as most men do) to wander around looking for the right road rather than asking someone the way.

Does that story pluck a string in your own life? Being lost on a holiday is one thing but have you ever felt lost in the deepest recesses of your being? Our consumerism may fill our lives with houses, cars and things but credit cards cannot reach the deep places of our being. Bertrand Russell, an atheist said, “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless”. New therapies and self help philosophies argue that purpose is found within and when you find the inner strength or knowledge you will know peace and feelings of well being.

God’s answer to the Why am I here question is simple. We are his special creation and our purpose is found in him, not in ourselves. True religion is not getting something from God to make us feel better; it is a life changing relationship that finds fulfilment in honouring God. It is all about him. This contact with God is based on his clear directions to us that we can read about in the Bible (try the Gospel of Mark).

Jesus disciples were confused about purpose and spiritual security and Jesus answer to them stands the test of time. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one come to the Father except through me. Jesus came with the specific goal of telling people about God. We don’t have to guess about God – Jesus came to tell us about him. The question the disciples asked is an age old one. How do we get to God? Are there secrets to be discovered or new ways to be searched out?

Not at all. Jesus is the way to God; he is the truth of God; he brings us into the life of God. His clear statement at the end destroys the relativism of the age –no one can come to the Father except through him. He is not another way, not even the best way – he is the only way to God.

If you are lost in the recesses of your life ask Jesus the way. He gives purpose that goes beyond the things of this age to eternity.