The Righteous Path

Who here has ever fallen off a bike?  Or maybe tripped on a tree branch? Twisted an ankle?

...if you haven't, you've lived an extraordinarily lucky life. I've had more more bumps and bruises from falling than I can count. This is true for the physical, emotional, and more importantly, spiritual parts of my life.

I've fallen off the straight and narrow path of Faith a million times. Some days it could be a mean thought or jealousy, other days it could be worldly temptation. I am, after all, human. And so are you (unless Superman is reading my blog?) 

Yes, we are human. We are imperfect creatures who sin and fall off the Good Path. But we are Blessed, for the Lord forgives us for our faults. He knows we are not perfect, and for that reason He sent his son to Earth to save us from our imperfect selves.

That does not, however, mean we can follow the sinful path knowing God will forgive us at a moments notice. Faith and a relationship with God don't work like quick fix diets. You can't pop a pill when you make a mistake too many, stop sinning for a week, and call it good.

What is a Righteous Path?

I used to make a list of every sin I did a day and pray God would forgive me for each one, every single night before bed. Yeah, it was exhausting and depressing. And it did nothing. I didn't consciously try to change how I acted or thought, I just went about my day knowing I would fall of the wagon and then did the "quick fix" prayer every night.

That isn't how the Christian Faith Walk works. 

We as Christians are to seek righteousness and a devout life, we are to try and emulate the Lord's lessons and strive to be His emissaries on this Earth. It isn't easy, but God did not promise easy. He promised us eternal life through Him.

Righteousness is a conscious choice. We are not born righteous, we are born flawed. A righteous life takes work and yes, it can be exhausting. But its rewards are far greater.

Why Follow the Righteous Path?

"But the Path of the Righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until the full light of day." - Proverbs 4:18

Shining, bright light. How many times have you felt surrounded by darkness and the harshness of this world? How many times have you felt alone and under a perpetual cloud of bad luck? And how often did you appeal to the Lord for resolution, in earnest faith and devotion, during this time? I can tell you I've been pretty bad about turning to God when there is darkness in my life. I worry and fret, instead of following His Path and turning my life over to His direction. I try to fix my problems the worldly way, not through the Righteous Path and through the Lord. And then when I do finally see I need Him, I've prayed for a quick fix instead of praying for His Will to be done in His Time.

Prayer and Study

Tonight I am going to think on Proverbs 4:18. I am currently struggling with medical issues that I appeal to the Lord about, and it is comforting to know that there is more waiting for me than the struggles of this life. I have been blessed many a time over and seen the great works of God in my life. But tonight I want to focus on how the Righteous Path is the way towards a life shining and bright with the Lord's presence. I want to count my blessings and know His Strength, and seek the path of His healing and direction.

I hope you will take the time to immerse yourself in this verse and seek the Righteous Path as well.  Do not worry if you can't focus or if you falter. I trip on a daily basis. What matters is returning to the Path.