infuse - Pathways To The Future

Email article to a friend. Pathways To The Future By Loren Chamberlain Thinking about the future and what you are going to do with your life can be scary! First of all, in that place we call the future anything is possible. Bad things can happen as well as good things. How can you know ahead of time how to avoid the bad things in that place called the future? Well, no one knows exactly what the future holds for him/herself. But you can do certain things now to insure your success and safety in this life and the life to come, like making Jesus your best friend and companion. Many people think they must have their lives totally together before they turn to God. They think they need to make themselves worthy of Jesus' friendship. The problem is nobody will ever be worthy of what God is offering. That's a surprising part of God's truth, which is sometimes difficult to accept. It is Satan the enemy who wants people to believe they somehow have to earn God's favor. By causing people to believe this he keeps people from taking the first step toward the Kingdom of God. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
A few years ago I stood at the top of the Olympic ski run in Utah and watched the skiers practice their downhill routine. They seemed to simply float through the air as they arched their bodies forward into the wind trying to gain as much air time and distance as possible. Other skiers were practicing every twist, turn and flip known to man, and then landing in a swimming
pool. Just by looking down the slope my stomach was doing its own flip-flops. I decided in about one second this was something I would never do. The thrill of victory can be intoxicating, but the agony of defeat was not going to be a part of my life experience. Then it came to me, these young athletes did not suddenly decide to be skiers. They grew up skiing, and one learning step at a time became very proficient in this thrilling sport. If you walk with Jesus, you too can approach life one step at a time and one prayer at a time to become proficient at living life. Thinking about life in the future without the friendship of Jesus can be like huddling fearfully at the top of a ski run having made no preparation for the trip down. It wouldn't be so bad if you'd done it before. But without any training or experience, and trying to go it alone, the trip could be disastrous and very frightening to say the least. However, in a way, you have been planning or not planning for the future for some time. In school you have either chosen classes with your future in mind or you didn't. You worked hard in class or you didn't. Whatever you did in school will certainly have an impact on your life. The friends you hangout with will probably influence your life as much as the skills you have and the interests you have developed. So why not hangout with Jesus, and make Him your best friend? "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that it may abide with you forever, the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees it nor knows it; but you know it, for it dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:15-18). Most likely you still have time to make Jesus your partner before you jump off into life all alone. It might be a few months or years. Nevertheless, it is never too late to work out a strategy or a plan that will not leave you stranded, looking down the pathway of life into a fearful future with more questions on your mind than available answers. When you put your faith in God's Son, His Spirit becomes a part of your life. God knew you would need His Spirit to help you live the way He wants you to live. You can let God's Spirit choose the road you're going to take. Living that way pleases God. In order for your mind to be ruled by His Spirit, you've got to stay tight with God. Spend time in prayer, in worship, and in His word. If you make these disciplines a part of your life, then you'll know when the Spirit is leading you, and you'll be able to follow.