This is what the LORD says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look.

Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is,

and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

Life can be really hard sometimes, and confusing. We can easily lose our way or feel overwhelmed by our circumstances. Anger or bitterness may consume us, trapping us in an unproductive cycle of mental and emotional distress. We endlessly rehearse all the ways we’ve been mistreated or how life is unfair, but still finding no relief or healing. Our future looks bleak, and little by little discouragement gives way to despair or depression. And before long, we start making self-defeating or short-sighted decisions, resulting in even more disappointment and regret. Guilt and shame often follow.

The good news is that there is a way forward. But it’s going to be on a different path.

Asking the right question

During the tough seasons in your life, the most important question is not how hard your circumstances might be, who’s to blame, or how to make sense of it all. Rather, the most pertinent question is simply, how are you going to handle it? Will you look to God for the wisdom and guidance you need or keep trying to manage on your own? Will you make wise choices in those areas still under your control, or are you going to keep reacting or behaving in ways that only make matters worse?

When ancient Israel was going the wrong direction, Jeremiah urged them to stop and think about the choices they were making and to put their lives back in order again. He called them to seek out the “good way” and to “walk in it.” If they would have only listened, they would have found what they most needed and desired: “rest for their souls”. But sadly, they did not, and by the time they realized their mistake, it was too late.

So, what is the good way?

In short, the good way is the path of faith and faithfulness, even when—or especially when—everything seems to be falling apart or your expectations of God, others, or yourself leave you hurting, confused, or afraid. It’s not believing God is going to protect you from all the injustice, loss and pain in life, let alone give you everything you ask for. Rather, it’s trusting that God truly loves you, is keenly and compassionately aware of your struggles and suffering, and is continually at work for good in your life, as God is for all those who “love God and are called according to God’s purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

For Christians, the good way includes keeping your eyes on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). He, more than anyone else, taught us to know, love, and serve God as our chief reason for living and to learn how to let God’s love flow more and more freely through us to those around us. This is the good way the writers of Bible have pointed out to us for millennia.

The alternatives

The alternatives, according to these same biblical writers, are many:

• rebellion (defiantly or angrily rejecting God’s ways, whether from pride, bitterness, disillusionment, arrogance, or simply willfulness);
• idolatry (giving your love and primary allegiance to someone or something other than the true God);
• false confidence (assuming that you don’t really need God or God’s help);
• sin (trying to satisfy your desires or meet your needs in shameful ways that ultimately hurt yourself or others);
• fear (shrinking back from doing the right thing or from whatever God has called you to do);
• despair (concluding that your life is hopeless and it doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do); or
• overwhelm (giving up or freaking out because you feel like you can’t handle whatever is happening and you stop trying).

Your path

So, how would you describe the path you’re on right now? You cannot change whatever painful or awful thing has happened to you, and you may not have much control over your circumstances. But you can choose how you’re going to react and where you’re going to go from here.  

Only by sticking to the “good way”—God’s way for you—will you find the wisdom, grace, peace, and inner strength you need for today and all that is still ahead. The choice is yours.

With the love of Jesus,

Dr. Tim

For further reflection

How would you describe the path you’re on right now? Is it going to take you where you most want to go? If not, what changes do you need to make to get back onto the good way? If you’re already on track, what do you need to do to keep moving in the right direction?