The Key to Choosing the Right Path

We bought a new (used) car on Tuesday and a tree fell on it on Friday. People have mentioned – I think in an effort to comfort me – that maybe that was not the car that God intended for me.

It doesn’t matter if that is the one that God intended because I chose it and God allows me to make my own choices for the good or for the bad. That is just His nature. It is the enemy that comes to steal, to kill and to destroy – not the Father. God did not drop a tree on my car.

No matter how or why that tree ended up on the car the truth is that God can turn a bad situation into good if I trust him. Sometimes following His path and His directions are as difficult for me as understanding why a tree fell on my new car before I even had a chance to drive it.

Tips for Choosing the Right Path

1. Don’t try to force it. God’s way may not be the “easy” way but it is smooth. He has cleared the path. Any time you are pushing and twisting to force a square peg in a round hole you might need to take a second look.

2. Don’t rush it. It is important that you be willing to step out when God tells you to step out but you better not step out before then. It’s like standing at a busy intersection with cars and trucks zipping by. If you cross before the light tells you to cross then you might find yourself in trouble (and pain).

3. Don’t do it on your own. Self-sufficiency is a sin. It forces you to take your eyes off Christ and focus on self. Choose to keep your eyes firmly set on and focused on God and you won’t be able to look at self. You can only focus in on one thing at a time even if you are a multi-tasker.

4. Don’t move without knowledge. The most important thing you can do is to spend quality time in the Word of God. The Word should be like the air you breathe – coming in and out of you naturally without a thought. Getting in the word will guarantee you an ear that is hungry for God’s direction and an ability to hear from God.

The day after I filed the claim for our insurance I found another exact make and model of the same car. Almost everything that had annoyed me about the other car was different and better in the one I had found (the almost should have been my first red flag). I negotiated a price that I wanted or at least where I wanted to start the finally negotiations.

I spent the following day having my mechanic check it out. At the same time I received news that the insurance will not pay until after the title goes to the state and comes back in our name. If I wanted the vehicle I would have to figure out a way to make it happen.

I walked away from that deal. Driving back to the dealership I noticed a strange pull and give in the way the car was driving. My dad had gone along for the ride as well and he noticed it. By the time we got to the dealership we were both thrilled that I had chosen not to buy what was surely a lemon.

God will make a way. He doesn’t need us to push and tear and force our way into the place that He wants for us. The key to choosing the right path is obedience. Following Him, His will and His way will put us on the right path each and every time.