Pathways matter! But the destination matters most! What’s more important at Van Buren State Park? Climbing over the dune on the pavilion path or getting to the beach? Is it more important to take the paved sidewalk or to reach those Lake Michigan waves? I’ve never met anyone at Van Buren who said they came for the path. No! They take the path that suits them best to reach the destination.
The same principle applies to abiding. While there are many pathways for connecting…the important thing is the destination: JESUS! Over the next nine weeks of summer, we will be going through a sermon series about different ways to abide. It’s called “Abide: Pathways for Connection.” I pray this series gives you some practical ways to more powerfully and consistently connect with your source of life, love, joy, peace, and purpose: Jesus Christ. He is the one who said: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9, ESV).
As we explore these pathways, keep in mind that they can never replace the basic Christian practices. There’s nothing that could ever replace belief, confession, repentance, Bible reading, prayer, worship, service, and sharing your faith. These basic Christian practices can be enhanced by the pathway methods, but never replaced. You’d never go for a long, hot day at the beach without water and justify that decision based on which pathway you took to the shore! The same is true spiritually: you may find you love the caregiving pathway for connecting with Jesus (à la Mother Teresa), but you should never neglect personal prayer and Bible reading. I think Mother Teresa would wholeheartedly agree!
This summer will offer you a time to reflect on which pathways come most naturally for you. You’ll also be challenged to expand your horizons into pathways less familiar, so you can be a balanced abider. Your investment in understanding and practicing multiple ways of connecting with Jesus will prepare you for a multifaceted, lifelong practice of abiding. There was a season of life when I never took the paved sidewalk to the beach at Van Buren. I wanted the adventure of climbing over the dune. That pathway worked best for my stage of life and goals at the time. Later in life, when I was toting diaper bags, floaties, goldfish crackers, and toddlers, the sidewalk became much more desirable. The same principle applies to our spiritual life. What pathways suit your current season of life? What pathways do you need to cultivate to diversify how you relate to God?
Whatever pathway(s) you choose, I’ll see you at the destination: Jesus!