I didn’t get to see my grandfather a whole lot growing up. He lived down south, and I live in New England. When I was younger, and before he passed away, we visited during the summer months; boy, was it hot down there, but I loved it! It didn’t take much to figure out that he was a pretty big deal in the small town where he grew up and lived most all his life. He had mellowed out a bit in his older years, but opinionated, stubborn to a fault, and good buddies with Johnny Walker, he was something to be reckoned with in his younger years. As they say down south, he ‘didn’t put no cut on it’—a straight shooter when it came to what he believed to be the truth.

When it comes to my grandfather’s convictions about standing on principle, I’d like to think I inherited this trait, but I’ve also learned something that has helped me acquire even more confidence. What I’ve discovered since learning about Christ is that you can stand for a whole lot of things, but when you stand for him, you’re during the best thing you can do for yourself. You’re walking in the destiny that God created you for.

For many of us, Easter celebrations have passed, but one of the things that we as born-again Christians can never stop celebrating is the goodness and love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate price for us. 2Corinthians 5:21 (NLT) tells us, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” We didn’t do so well with all the grace and freedom that God gave us. We kinda made a mess of things, so God sent us His Son to show us the way. Jesus set us right with Heavenly Father. He expanded God’s family by making salvation possible, so that we could be God’s sons and daughters. It’s only right that we take the time out of our days, every day, to reflect upon the Father’s goodness.

Jesus laying his life on the cross for our sins allowed us to be set free from bondage, but a whole lot of folks are still feeling like they can’t get this thing called life to work just right. This feeling comes from not understanding and trusting in the reality of Christ. He said in John 15:1-2(NLT), “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” Many people are resisting the pruning process. They don’t want God to help them get rid of the things in their lives that is separating them from a fruitful existence.

Back in the day, during my grandfather’s time, men had this thing where they stood for certain things, but they didn’t necessarily study the Word to ensure those principles lined up with God’s truth. If you don’t stand for the truth, you’ll fall for a lie. It’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, and some of us spend our whole lives trying to do this. Jesus Christ paved the way for us. He showed us how life is supposed to lived and how to squeeze every drop of juiciness out of it.

Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. It is about elevation and promotion through Jesus Christ. When we walk the path that Christ paved, it ensures that we are living our lives in a manner that pleases God.  Hebrews 11:6 tells us that our faith in Him pleases God, and it also tells us that God is a Rewarder to those that sincerely and diligently seek Him. This means that instead of going here and there looking for answers about why things are not working right for us, we need to trust God and begin to lean only on Him. We need to seek Him first, and open our hearts and minds to hear His directions.

God wants to see us blessed and fulfilled. He created us to have a relationship with Him as His children. Faith in God will guide us in the right direction. He knows the path we should take so that our lives make sense. He said it best in 2Peter 1:10-11 The Message (MSG), “So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.”■

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

“Jesus Paved the Way”, written by J.Mack for 4theChristianMan.com© 2018. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.