Crossroads

cross·roads
/ˈkrôsˌrōdz/
“a point at which a crucial decision must be made that will have far-reaching consequences.”

No matter who you are or where this journey through life is taking you there will, undoubtably, come a time where you will stumble upon a crossroads and forced to make a decision; one that may seem small at first but could completely alter the direction of your life. This moment may happen more than once but, regardless, a decision must still be made, and it is up to you alone to choose which path to follow.

During this moment it’s important to determine what motivates your decision. Are you firm in your faith and trust in the guidance of your Creator or are you feeble and easily persuaded by the pleasures of this world? What choice will make? What direction will you go? Do you choose to go your own way, or do you listen to God and go the direction He sends you? 

Going your own way is no doubt the easiest choice because who knows you better than you, right? I mean how could God know me better than I know myself. Obviously, I know what’s best for myself. This world can be quite persuasive at times and will do it’s best to constantly bombard you with the mindset that you know what you need more than anyone else, including God. I’m sure you’ve heard one of these popular phrases many times “It’s my way or the highway” or “do what makes you happy”. The world doesn’t want you to rely on God or seek Him for guidance it wants you to be solely reliant on yourself after all you don’t need God to make a decision as long as you do what makes YOU happy that’s all that matters right?

Don’t get me wrong your happiness and experiencing true joy in life is important but not at the expense of your relationship with God. To a Christian, a follower of God and someone who has accepted Christ into their life, your happiness isn’t…shouldn’t be dependent on what the world has to offer; nor is your happiness more important than what God has to offer. I know it’s easy to follow your heart or go your own way or to simply do what makes you happy but when you care only about yourself, you’re neglecting God and not giving him a chance to work in your lives but when we follow God and go in the direction He sends then He promises a life that is far more rewarding. 

Proverbs 14:12 says this “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

You may think you know what is best for your life but, our hearts and emotions can be deceiving and easily misguided causing us to stumble down a path that is full of unnecessary pain and suffering. The more you choose to go your own way the further you get from God the more struggles you will be forced to face on your own. God cares deeply for you and takes no pleasure from seeing you go down this dark and lonely path. Rather than trusting in only yourself and listening to your own heart trust in God, have faith in His guidance, and He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Besides having faith and trusting God, in order to fully follow the path that has been perfectly designed for you it is important that we are in a state of complete devotion to God. While the choices we make are indeed our own, God wants us to be reliant on him and to do so we must be like clay, allowing God to mold us and work in our life. Isaiah 64:8 says this “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Are you moldable and willing to be shaped by God or are you firm and set in your own ways? Christianity isn’t about adjusting God’s Word to fit your mood or lifestyle but adjusting your lifestyle and behaviors to fit Gods Word and His will and direction for your life.

Imagine how different life would be if Jesus chose His own happiness over the pain and suffering He experienced while dying on the cross for our sins, what if He chose to be stubborn and went His own way rather than following the plan that God had placed before Him. I don’t know about you, but I don’t even want to picture how dark and horrible that life would be. I’m thankful that Jesus obeyed and trusted God and that through the price He paid and through His obedience we all have the opportunity to be saved and are able to find hope and joy in Him!

John 3:17 says this “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Jonah was one such character from the Bible who found himself at a crossroads and rather than going in the direction God sent him Jonah made the decision to go his own way and in doing so was met with travesty. Jonah chose the easy way out and that decision caused him to be thrown into the ocean due to his disobedience which led to him being swallowed up by a fish, where he came to his senses and realized the poor choice that he made. Despite his disobedience God heard his prayers and gave Jonah a second chance. Jonah 3:1 says this “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time.” Sometimes when confronted with the choice to go our own way or God’s way we end up making the wrong choice which, unfortunately, at times is followed by negative consequences but if we repent and come to God with forgiveness in our heart, He will hear our prayers and may offer us a second chance.

 Noah was given strict direction from God to build an ark that was going to save him and his family from an unprecedented flood that would wipe out the entire earth. Rather than doubting God Noah made the decision to trust God and have faith in His direction. Genesis 6:22 says this “Noah did; according to all that God commanded him.” I’m sure this decision wasn’t easy and came with a fair amount of ridicule but despite the backlash Noah’s obedience to God and faith is what saved him and his family. As Christians we will be ridiculed for our faith, the Bible reminds us that persecution is inevitable because there will always be those who don’t understand and simply can’t comprehend why one would choose to follow God instead of choosing their own happiness or the pleasures this world has to offer but if you hold strong in your faith and press on through the persecution God promises to do great things when we obey Him.

Joseph on the other hand was forced into a direction that wasn’t his own, he was thrown into a pit then sold into slavery but despite the situation he found himself in Joseph was still able to recognize that the circumstances were all a part of God’s perfect plan. While speaking with his brothers in Genesis 50:20 we are reminded of how Joseph responded “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Often times we can get pushed into a situation that isn’t what we planned or expected but if we have faith and trust in God then He can use even the most unexpected of situations to do His miraculous work.

Pharaoh had many opportunities to heed God’s calling, he was asked on multiple occasions to let the people of Israel go but he hardened his heart and would not obey God. Pharaoh was stubborn and chose to go his own way, his power and selfish desires were more important to him than anything God had to offer. Exodus 8:32 says this “Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.” When we harden our hearts and become set in our own ways we refuse to listen to God and therefor deny His ability to work in our life causing us to fall down a path that is uncertain and full of pain and potential destruction.

No matter what choice you make or direction you choose God has a perfect plan for your life. Whether you go left or right, are facing trials or through times of joy, even if you have a plan or feel confused and unsure what decision to make God will meet you there and knows what is best for you because He knew you before you were even born. Jeremiah 1:5 says this “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” There, honestly, is no one on earth who knows you better than your Creator, including yourself. So why is it that we still find ourselves struggling at a crossroads? Why do we try so hard to go our own way and ignore His calling and direction? It’s because of our sin nature.

The devil is constantly doing his best to keep us from relying on God, he would much rather we be focused on ourselves and tempted by the temporary pleasures of this world than be wholly dependent and devoted to God. The devil knows that the more we are dependent on ourselves the more we won’t need God. Since the very beginning the devil has been trying his best to make us believe that we don’t need God because according to his lies, we can be like gods. Genesis 3:4-5 says this “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” The devil tries so hard to deceive us and will use whatever method he can to pull us away from the one and only true God. Without God we are nothing and without His direction we are like sheep lost without a Shepard.

Harry Ironside once said, “The greatest mistake any Christian can make is to substitute his own will for the will of God.”

Who better to guide you and give you direction in life than God, the one who created you and knew you from the very beginning of your existence? Who better to give you hope than one who sent His only son to die on a cross pay the ultimate price for our freedom? Who better to trust and obey than the one who lives in your heart and desires to have a personal relationship with you? Rather than being stubborn and attempting to control every aspect of your life, give God the reigns and allow Him to take control.

Going God’s way will not be an easy journey, in fact it’ll undoubtably be much more challenging than going your own way. I’ve heard it said that the Christian life is not meant to be a cruise but a battleship because the devil and the world will always be against those who are strong in their faith. God never promised rainbows and butterflies for those who choose to follow Him, but He did promise a life full of true joy and happiness even in the midst of our trials, a life that is void of loneliness because God is always by your side and most importantly, He promises us eternal life, a home in Heaven where there will be no more hurting and no more pain. Until then, while we are still here God promises to never give up on his children. There’s no need to feel lost or confused. There’s no need go through life alone. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  So, the next time you’re confronted with a crossroads and unsure of what direction to go, trust in the Lord and He will direct your path.

📍Rowena Crest