Road Less Travelled

If only the reality were as beautiful as the picture to the right. If only it were as easy as following the path that

has been laid out in front of you. If only you could simply grab the hand of the one that walks in front of you and simply repeat each step they take, each action they display, each word they speak.

But it's not.

Traveling the road less travelled means that you are going to have to do many things that you not prepared to do. It means you are going to have to go in directions that others may have chosen not to go. Right or wrong, they chose differently than you.

No, this is not a theological discussion on choosing the narrow path or the wide path. This is not a lesson on how through discipline we can achieve greater things. This is a reflection of a father whose heart hurts and aches when the actions of his children - whom he loves - requires doing something that is hard. This is the reflection of a husband who has chosen to be faithful and to be a man of God and not a man of the world. This is the reflection of a pastor who watches as so many claim the title of Christ-follower, yet have very little, if anything, in their lives that demonstrates that to be reality.

Tonight, I catch my child lying. My heart breaks. My heart breaks because no parent wants to see his child lie, let alone be lied to. My heart breaks because the truth of the matter is that lying is a sin. My heart breaks because trust is what holds us together, and trust is broken through a lie.

Today, I hear of a friend who has decided to leave his wife because it just does not work anymore. My heart breaks. My heart breaks because in the eyes of God, who ordained this holy sacrament of marriage, this is not the breaking of an agreement, but the desecration of a covenant. My heart breaks because while the covenant of marriage is not easy, it should never be viewed as easily forgotten. My heart breaks because I believe that God's heart breaks whenever He sees His children give up on and destroy something which He created to be so beautiful.

This week (and many other weeks), I watch as those who call themselves Christians engage in blatantly sinful activity. I watch as they willingly cheat others, the government, their families, and God. I watch as they speak from one side of their mouth and then the other. I watch as they choose sin because it's easier or because it feels good. My heart breaks because I long to see them grow to know and understand the full power of God at work in their lives. My heart breaks because I have been called to preach the Good News and sometimes it seems to fall on deaf ears. My heart breaks because God requires and expects more from us if we are going to share His name.

The road less travelled means something different for each of us. What does it mean for you?

Comments

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