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"There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death."
(Proverbs 14:12)
A pastor friend of mine asked an important question and then gave a profound answer. He said, "People ask all the time, 'How do people make it who do not know the Lord?' The answer is, they don't." That is so true. People who don't know Christ or have any desire to know or follow Him pay a heavy price both in this life and in the next. Recently, I watched two movies about the lives of legendary performers: Elvis Presley and Whitney Houston. They were famous all over the world, extremely wealthy, and lived opulent lifestyles. Both Elvis and Whitney had many hit songs and starred in popular movies. But they lived miserable lives and died early deaths.
Both talented performers came from dysfunctional, unhealthy families and were marred with addictions to drugs and alcohol. When I watched these movies, it was exhilarating to see their meteoric rise to stardom because of their rare talents. But it was even more profound to watch them make poor choices that eventually destroyed them. Both these two iconic figures in American entertainment reminded me that money, fame, and success cannot make a person truly happy and joyful. My overall emotion at the end of the movies was sadness.
Solomon says twice in the Book of Proverbs: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25) This truth, however, does not only apply to the rich and famous; it applies to everyone. We have a choice to make: will we follow Jesus and obey His commandments, or will we choose the path of the world and indulge in the lifestyle that it offers? To choose the former includes a denial of self and following Jesus; the latter embraces every desire of the heart and flesh and has little to no regard for the things of God.
Which path do you choose? God gives us the choice to follow Him or reject Him. Following Him is not easy. We must choose to say no to many temptations. But following Jesus provides a life of great joy and contentment. God fills our hearts with hope and peace, the two spiritual blessings that every human heart desperately wants and craves. Nothing can satisfy the soul like Jesus. God created us for Himself, and when we are walking with Him and pursuing the life He has for us, then we live blessed and prosperous lives.
In Mark 8:34-37, the Lord puts before us two choices: "When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, 'Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?'"
Which path will you choose?
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