Sometimes the hardest life to bring into subjection is your own. If you are a parent, you are acquainted with the constant duty of teaching your children to submit and obey. If you are an employer, you understand the need, as well as the challenges, of keeping employees in compliance. And although these may seem difficult, they don’t come close to the challenges we can face when endeavoring to keep our own lives aligned with God’s established purpose.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” (Ps. 37:23, KJV). As a believer, your life has already been mapped out by God—predetermined by Him. The word ordered in Ps. 37:23 means “prepared and secured.” In other words, your path is prepared and secured, and everything you will ever need to walk it out is already firmly fixed. However, if we don’t intentionally focus on keeping ourselves on that predetermined path, we can alter our course.
Challenges come against us on our spiritual journey just as they do on a natural journey. If we take a road trip, we can find ourselves dealing with the elements, hindrances in the road, and distracting temptations. The elements represent unfavorable weather conditions. In the natural, various storms have brought complete devastation to cities and countries, ultimately causing people to abort their journeys.
The same is true when the storms of life “touch down,” seeking to devastate our course. In Luke 8, we read the account of the disciples in the middle of a storm. Jesus instructed them to go to the other side of the lake. Their course was predetermined, but the storm arose, threatening to destroy the boat and all within it. But Jesus came walking on the water commanding them not to be afraid. Why? He was with them. The result: they did not abort their course; they made it to the other side. Like the disciples, the storms of life come, but we can hold on, remembering Jesus is with us.
Hindrances in the road represent things like nails, glass, detours, and obstructions that slow the journey. We have all seen people stranded by the side of the road because of tire problems or experienced temporary detours due to construction. In life, there will be hindrances and possible detours, but we have to stay the course. We have a real enemy, who throws whatever he can before us to see the “tires” of our lives blow out. But in spite of his tactics, we can quickly access our repair kit, which is the Word of God, and keep moving.
Stay in God’s face. Keep your life accountable to His Word, and you’ll get through the course of life God has mapped out for you like a champion driver.
When we sit on the side of the road, griping or complaining, Satan gets the advantage. He not only slows down our progress, but also keeps us in a part of the journey longer than we should be there. Don’t be ignorant of his devices (2 Cor. 2:11). Through the Word of God, use your God-given tools to smash the hindrances of the enemy so you can keep advancing forward.
Finally, don’t allow yourself to be distracted, because nothing thwarts the path of Christians like distracting temptations. Distracting temptations represent three things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). I have been on highways where adult entertainment signs designed to draw people off the road and into their dark hideaways are in full view. They are always conveniently located right off the exit ramps.
This very thing happens in our walk with Christ. There is no greater enemy to God’s plan than the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. They are like billboards, bright neon signs designed to pull us off course (Prov. 7:7-27).
To avoid being lured away, you will have to safeguard your eyes. This means putting the pedal to the metal by saying “no” to your fleshly desires, keeping your eyes fixed on the pure things of God. It also means humbling yourself recognizing no matter how long you may have been a Christian, the risk of getting off course is a reality for you if you don’t guard your heart, ears, and eyes.
Stay in God’s face. Keep your life accountable to His Word, and you’ll get through the course of life God has mapped out for you like a champion driver.
