God’s Way Works

Welcome to my new web-home. GOD’S WAY WORKS

Over the past two years, I’ve been enjoying a spiritual journey like never before, drawing closer to God and to God’s children. It has been a frightening time in some ways, not exactly knowing where it will lead. However, it has also been an exciting time as I continue to have spiritual breakthroughs in my personal and family life.

One aspect of my previous blog that I had to come to grips with is I was just spreading myself too thin. I wanted to be a Springboard. I wanted to be a help to anyone and everyone in every possible way. I wanted to help in your spiritual life, family life, professional life. I wanted to branch into helping with numerous things. What I finally realized is that I was pursuing someone else’s goal. One of my mentors is John Maxwell (I mean this in the sense that I seek out his mentoring via books, cds, websites, seminars, etc.). I have toyed with the idea that I could have a secular side and a spiritual side to my work just as he has done. However, I’m learning that is just not me. Regrettably, in moments of honesty, pursuing that secular side was really about trying to make money not because I felt like I really could be of service in the secular arena.

Recently, I listened to Andy Stanley’s podcasts based on his book Seven Practices of Effective Ministry (yes, that is an affiliate link) found at practicallyspeaking.org. In one of the podcasts (I think it was the one entitled “Teach Less for More”) Andy encouraged his listeners to determine the one to three things they want folks to really get out of their teaching. As a preacher, I pictured this as coming back to a congregation I worked with many years later and someone coming up and saying, “Hey, Edwin, you may not remember me, but I heard you back in _____. I just want you to know that you really helped me. The one thing I really learned from you is ___________________________.”

What would you want in that blank?

When I heard that, I immediately knew what I wanted in there. I didn’t want, “Hey Edwin, you were a real springboard.” What I want to hear is, “Edwin, the one thing I really got from you was the conviction that GOD’S WAY WORKS.”

Thus, my new blog. Of course, I hope this still serves as a springboard for you. I hope it vaults you into a deeper relationship with God and with God’s people.

The organization of this blog is not going though major changes. Really, it is the motivation that is going through major changes. I no longer desire to be your springboard. I simply want to discover more about God and His way because I’m convinced GOD’S WAY WORKS. This blog is not me trying to pass my spiritual expertise along to you. It is not even really me trying to pass on to you what I’ve learned. Rather, writing this blog helps me. Thinking through my journey in order to write it down in an organized way helps me really see how God is working in my life. Plus, and this is the really great benefit, writing all this down in a blog allows me the opportunity to hear what you are learning about God and His way. I want to hear what you are learning about God’s way because I’m convinced GOD’S WAY WORKS.

I want to invite you on this journey with me. Put your hand in God’s and let Him lead the way.

To find out more about this blog and my new schedule, check out “What’s Going On Here.”

Have a great New Year and remember:

GOD’S WAY WORKS

P.S. For those of you who have been following, I’ll get back to the series on Spiritual Maturity next Monday.

For a long time, I’ve misunderstood Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

I’ve treated that verse as if what it said was I needed to work really hard to put one foot in front of the other on God’s narrow way to show God how pleasing I can be to Him. I felt as if the narrow way was a test for me to show how good I can be. If I follow it close enough, God will deem me worthy of heaven.

I think I was wrong.

God has not established a narrow way in order to test my goodness. God wants me to have life and not destruction. He established the narrow way because it works.

What does this mean on a practical level? It means God hasn’t established His commands to make eternity hard for me to grasp. He has given His word to shine a light on the way and make it easier. Psalm 119:105 says God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. He didn’t give His word to make it harder, but to make it easier. How hard would it be if I was left on my own to figure out how to journey into eternity?

Isaiah 50:10-11 talks to those who are walking in darkness and have no light. God says two things. He says they need to trust and rely on Him. Then He talks to those who light their own fires, that is follow their own ways. The end result, He says, is torment. Then there the two proverbs: Proverbs 14:12; 16:25 say, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

This is the point, if I want life, I can’t achieve it by being good enough. I can’t achieve it by earning it. I’ve already lost that. What then am I to do? Whatever God tells me. His way works. My way will just lead to death. If I go my own way, it’s not that I’m falling short of earning life, I’m simply not walking the path that leads to life. Think of it this way. I live off I-65 just south of Nashville, TN. If I wanted to go to Indianapolis, I’d hop on I-65 and drive north. Why? Why not turn onto I-40? Why not go south? Is it because going north on I-65 will earn my way into Indianapolis? No. It’s because that way works. When mapquest tells me to turn on to I-65, is it trying to stifle my expression, my creativity, my own strength? No. It is just telling me how to get there. It’s making it easier for me.

But God’s narrow way seems so difficult? I seem to keep falling off the side and into the ditch. I can keep getting up and getting back on the path because I know I’m not alone. God is working in me and through me (Philippians 2:12-13) and He is able to keep me from stumbling (Jude 1:24).

Today, instead of trying to earn your way into heaven by working hard on the narrow way, just do what God wants. His way works. Yours won’t.

God's Way Works