International Community Church

May / June 2010 Newsletter

What way? (download Youthings)

Navigating a future with Jesus might mean going off the map... way off the map.

What is God's will? Should we go here or go there? Which way? What way? It's all so confusing and worrisome and exhausting isn't it? If you're a Christian and you struggle with making choices in life then you're not alone! I go through it, you go through it and believe it or not, Jesus' first disciples went through it too! Don't worry! There's a map! It might just not be the one that you're holding.

The first mistake for any christian is to say "I've got plans" and then set out to do them. Very often God's plans aren't anything like ours. In the book of Job, Job has everything he knows taken away from him: His home, his wife, his children. He is heartbroken, angry at God, bereft of hope. But when God enters the picture things change. He sees that God has a greater plan. He exclaims, "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." What a beautiful picture of God's future for us. At the end of the book we find out the Lord gives Job twice as much as he had before. Surely that was too wonderful for him to know in advance! Think of what God has in store for you!

The second thing we do as Christians is think that God is going to give us "stuff". Maybe in the story of Job that was part of what God blessed Job with but truly blessing should be thought of totally differently. Once we have begun to surrender our schedule to God, priorities don't look the same. Maybe it's a chapter in the Bible we decide to read rather than flipping on the TV. Maybe it's the worship album we decide to listen to rather than the secular one. Little by little we are tuning into God, and tuning into God always leads to turning to God in the life choices we make. Romans 8:5 says this, "..but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." All that means is when you start spending time with God. You want different things. Godly things. The "stuff" this world has to offer is not as exciting. And if it still is at the moment, don't worry. Just keep tuning in. God is going to show you something really spectacular very soon.

When you have reached the point of surrender to Jesus' leadership, come what may, you are about where the disciples were in the book of John, chapter 14. Do you know what happens? All of their plans, (even to follow him!) go out the window. Just prior they are told by Jesus, that Peter, "top-of-the-class-admired-by-all" is going to betray him. And not once but three times! That pretty much leaves them clinging to Jesus for survival. But at the beginning of chapter 14 Jesus flat out tells them that he is leaving them too and that they can't come! What must have been going through the disciples' heads? Should they flee, like they are told Peter will do? Jesus leaves them one thread of hope. He says, "You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas, the disciple pipes up and basically says, "But I don't know the way. Show me the way!" (For all of his lack of faith later in the gospel you have to admire his honesty here! If only we could be more honest with God about our shortcomings and cry out for help.) The next thing Jesus says blows my mind and is wholly the reason I'm writing this article. He says, " I am the way". I think the phrase is, "The penny drops". The disciples thought they had a physical location they were destined for but it turned out not be a location at all... it was a person. Jesus himself.

This leads me back to that map you've got in your hands. Take a good look at. Where are you on it? What does the destination look like? You might even see some of the mountains and valleys in between. You've prayed over the decisions. Fought the oppressors, stayed on target. Maybe you've changed direction along the way. There's a new destination you didn't see earlier. Can you see the way? You might say to yourself "I've got it figured out. This is the way God wants me to go". Got your eyes on what way to go? In navigating our future, our life, Jesus' goal is single fold: He is the way. Not a career, not a blessing, nor any philosophy or mindset. It's Him. Maybe we should start asking ourselves: wherever we are going from here, (be it on holiday, or college, or staying in England going on as normal - or not normal) is it, without agenda, or hope, or fear, perfectly toward our Lord Jesus Christ?

Peace and love,

Matt Blair

iccyouth director