My One Guiding Principle

I just had an epiphany, revelation, realization, a moment of enlightenment; call it what you will, but God has given me new sight into my life.

I have lived the vast majority of my life with one guiding principle: follow Christ. I have failed at times, but my greatest desire is to be in God's will doing the work He has planned for me (Eph 2:10).

There have been some great, grievous, embarrassing sins in my life. It seems that God has protected me from the worst case scenarios of consequences. Where I deserved judgment and punishment, He gave Grace. But the times in my life where I abandoned my one guiding principle, He has brought the hammer down hard and plain for me to see. He has been clear and concise in his discipline of my rebellion, for Hebrews 12 says that whom God loves, He chastens, and if you do not receive discipline, you are not His child.

The point is this. Jesus called His followers to do just that: follow. He did not say come and be sinless, He simply says follow. Christians often get bogged down in the guilt of their past or present sins. But Christ has called us to follow Him, and allow Him to deal with the imperfections in our life. I fret about so many things, but only one is truly needful: follow Christ. It doesn't make life easy or the road less hard, but it makes it understandable. It gives my vast wanderings in life purpose. It lets me know that in my wandering to Pennsylvania and the things I worry about are nothing if I follow Christ. I believe He has brought me here, and He has provided for me. I have begun to look at my paltry possessions and realize, they are mine. Bought with my money. The heat I enjoy is paid for by me. I rely on no one else to pay my bills and they are paid. He has brought me here and given me my independence and allowed me to become a man. The man He wishes me to be. And it is all because of my one guiding principle: follow Christ.

I Love You Lord