The Right Way, Not My Way

by Drew Forrest

Often, as a young Christian, I hear, especially older people, saying all young people make foolish decisions and do not know how to choose rightly. With the generation that I am associated with, Millennials, I can tend to agree with them, sadly. However, is there a way that even someone who is young can know what is the right thing to do and not fall into the stereotype for young people? My answer to you is Yes!

You might say, “Well, if there is a way that I can know what is the right thing to do all the time then why haven’t I listened yet?” I am here to tell you it comes down to one word why we haven’t in many cases; SELF! In Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 we see the reason, it says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” The word I would like us to look at is “SEEMS.” I know from my own personal experience that as a younger person, and I’m sure it happens to older people as well, we tend to want to do things our way. We want to do things that make us “our own person” so to speak and this is many times where we run into deep trouble. When we look at a decision of life and rush in head first we fail to consider the consequences to our actions and in turn justify, or “SEEM to be right” in, our actions. We will say things such as, “I wanted to do it and I am an ADULT, so I made my choice.” Well I’m here to say again that, just because we may be adults, does not mean that every decision we make is a justified one. We need to consider the words in Hosea 14:9, “Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But the transgressors stumble in them.” The ways of the Lord, not our own, are the right way. Therefore, we cannot, as we read in Proverbs 14:12, just seem like our way is right because it will end in death. Instead, we need to BE right in following the Lord in obedience. This reminds me of Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus is describing those who thought or seemed they were doing the right thing but, he says, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” It is not for us to decide what is right, the Lord has already done that and what we must do is as simple as faithful obedience. Jeremiah 10:23 lays it out plainly that we need to hold to the directions of the Lord, saying, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” We in this country, and around the world unfortunately, have a very humanistic view, in that we think we are the ones who are right, and we are the sole source of authority, but I am here to tell you those who think such will be very disappointed in the Judgment Day.

Now, you might say, “What should I do then? How do I know what steps to take?” That is a great question that we can answer from the Scriptures. First, I want us to consider II Peter 1:5-11 which says, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The things that Peter refers to are wonderful attributes that we should all strive to put on each and every day. When applied to our daily lives these will make us trust in the Lord and strive to study his Word. When we look carefully at verse 9, we see that if we are not adding these things daily to our lives, we are forgetting what we once were cleansed of and that is a terrible thing for any Christian. Second, I want us to think about the words of Paul to Timothy, who was a younger Christian and had some of the problems that we can face being younger Christians. In I Timothy 4:12-16, Paul charges Timothy with several things saying, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” Paul is telling Timothy, in essence, for him to give no occasion for others to despise his youth and the way he will do that is by knowing and filling himself with the things of the Lord, very similarly to what we just spoke of in II Peter 1.

As younger Christians, we need to see that being old does not mean someone is a faithful and strong Christian. Age does not determine that, but our obedience and faithfulness do. Just as Timothy was a younger man, so many of us are as well, it is our reasonable service, as it is with all Christians, to look to God’s word for the answers to the choices we make and trust in the Lord because it has the RIGHT WAY and not my way.