Do You Know the Way?

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” ~ John 14:6 (NLT)

When I was a freshman in college, long before the advent of the Internet, smart phones, and GPS, my girlfriend and I decided to take a road trip into San Francisco to see the sights and maybe do some shopping. Right before we left, my girlfriend told me she needed to stop by the bank to grab some cash for our trip. I asked which bank and she rattled off a name that I wasn’t familiar with. I asked if she knew where this bank was located in the greater San Francisco metro area. Her response? “Not really, but how hard can it be to find it?” Let me tell you. We spent what seemed like hours looking for this bank. It was nowhere to be found. I was getting really angry; she was getting majorly defensive. Let’s just say that the words we were using towards each other were neither loving nor encouraging. We were so upset with each other that neither one of us wanted to spend any more time together. So, I turned the car around and drove back to the college and dropped her off at her dorm. The trip was off.

Far too often, our spiritual life can feel like that trip. Now, I’m not talking about a trip to see the sights and get some city swag. Instead, I’m talking about our Christian journey. Notice that I call it a journey, because that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Though we may know the ultimate destination (Heaven), we have no idea how to get there.

The only being in the universe who actually knows every twist, every turn, every hill, and every valley that we must take to join Him in heavenly splendor is Jesus. But, here’s the deal. He wants to journey with us. He doesn’t want to just give us a roadmap and say “good luck.” He wants to be with us as we see the sights. He wants to help re-direct us when we take a wrong turn. He wants to point out the wonders of His creation along the way. He wants to build a solid, intimate relationship with us which is built over time and experiences.

This is why He gave us our verse today, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” In other words, unless He is along for the ride, we have no shot at getting to our final destination in Heaven. Only with Jesus joining us on the journey can we experience the perfection which awaits.