the path...

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. School is in full swing so of course my work schedule has picked up quite a bit. Games started Sept. 1 which makes my schedule pick up even more. I'm trying to balance my personal life with my work life and still put God first before all of it. I'm not always very good at that. I find myself battling between my head and my heart, between what I know to be true and what the world tells us, between who I am or who you want me to be.

I've told you before, but I've enjoyed listening to Benji Kelley from New Hope Church in Durham. I subscribe to their podcasts and love a good message from him. His latest series Proverbs and Pathways had been collecting on my ipod without a long trip to listen to them but after a reminder last night I took an hour to listen today to the first one and was not disappointed.

If you get a chance, you can watch the sermon or read Benji's blog or subscribe to all of New Hope sermons.

The last 15 minutes are what really hit home for me from Proverbs and Pathways part 1. I had to listen to it again just to let it sink in and evaluate how I can best apply it to my own life... In case you don't have to time to catch the whole thing I'm a nerd and typed it out...

My prayer is in the very beginning is that you’d let this principle, that Solomon is using to teach us about this couple, that you’d let the principle bubble up from scripture and just start piercing your mind, your heart and your soul and that’d you muster from all of this the courage to get on the right path and whatever area of your life whereby you’re not experiencing the destination you had once hoped for and dreamed for and longed for. Here are a few examples:

I want to end up with a great Christian guy, a great godly man that will bless our family and lead our family in the way of the Lord so I’m going to date any guy that comes along as long as he’s cute.

It’s a path, not just a date. It’s a path.

I want a family that is so family-centered. I want a family that is loving and warm. I want a family that values vacation time. I want a family that values family time so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to work 18-20 hours a day and travel all the time.

See the disconnect. See the chasm.

I want my kids to respect me. I kind of want to be a statesman one day. I want my kids to come back home and value my input and my insight and I want to bounce the grandkids on my lap one day. I just want to be respected by my kids so I’m going to fool around on their mother.

I want to grow old and invest in my grandchildren. I want to live a long life because I want to see my grandchildren and love them and have good retirement years. And bless them. I want to live a long life with my grandchildren so I’m going to neglect my health.

I want to be thin. I want to be attractive. I want to look good so supersize that for me.

It’s a path.

I want to be a man of God. I want to be a woman of God. I want to be a man and woman after God’s own heart. I want to be wise and I want to grow. I want to be a man and woman of the word so here’s what I’m going to do I’m going to get up every morning and spend countless hours on facebook because I’m so nosey I want to know what everybody else is doing. I want to be a man of the word so I’m just going to get up and twitter and blog and totally neglect the word. I believe in those things I believe in using technology but the moment I put technology and all that stuff above the study of God’s word and prayer time, is the moment I have just decided I’m going to get on a path and that path is destruction.

I want to have a great sex life. I want “Notebook” kind of sex, I want passionate, intimate sex. So here’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to practice with everyone along the way until I get married. I don’t know of one mature believer who I respect, I don’t know of one mature believer who’s walked with the Lord for any amount of time, whose grown in the Lord and could look you or me in the eye and tell you the way to have great sex when you get married is to practice along the way. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. You say no it’s just an event you wouldn’t buy a car without test driving it. No, it’s a path, it’s a principle that is in direct opposition to the word of the Lord and the moment you start to break God’s principles you break yourself on them in the process.

I want to have a great relationship with my husband. I want to feel loved by him and I want to love him back I just want us to be so tight and so joined. I want a great relationship with my husband, so here’s what I’m going to do I’m going to prioritize my children over my husband.

It’s a path.

I want to be financially secure. I want to live in a great house and I want to provide educational means for my children. I want to drive nice cars and I want to do this and that, in fact I want to save and have enough money in retirement years to live the final years of my life in a very nice way. I want those blessings so here’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to go more and more in debt and live way beyond my means.

The path determines the destination.

Not your tears, not your dreams not your hopes not your prayers.

The path determines the destination.

When you get where you’re going, where will you be?

Where will your path lead?

You came here today already on paths. You’re already on a path. You’re on a path financially, relationally, in your marriage.

My hope and my prayer is that we’ll be honest with the subject matter and get off the paths that will end so painfully and get on the paths that will honor God and be the greatest life you could ever imagine.