Author: walker029

I know that I talk a lot about living life on THE PATH. How do we get there? How do we know what path to start on? Psalm 51:1-2 NLT says, “Have mercy on m, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sin. Wash me clean from guilt. Purify me from sin.” I believe that David is saying and asking three different things from God. 

First, he is acknowledging his sin. This is sometimes the hardest thing to do when we have to look into ourselves and identify the areas of our life that are sinful and throwback the curtains to let the light shine on them. 

Second, we have to be willing to accept the consequences that may come from them. This area may seem difficult, but if we can change our perspective from. I have to accept the consequences to I get to accept the consequences then we can see it as a time and place that God is using to grow us into our true purpose. 

Third, is turning the other way. In the Roman military, the word repent (about face) was used as a command to the troops to turn 180 degrees and go the other way. When we repent of our sins we are in essence turning away from the path we are on and starting down a new path. A path free from guilt. 

I can remember when I was in bootcamp and learning how to do close order drill. When we where given the command about face we were expected to turnaround in mid march. At first, this was not really graceful for any of us. We where all out of sink with each other. Some could not make the full turn; some people turned so far that they ended up facing the same way again, and some didn’t even turn around. But our drill instructors never stopped teaching and encouraging us to do better, and over time we all became better at it, and eventually, we were all able to make the turn in unison and looked liked a well-oiled machine. The same is true with us and our relationships with our Heavenly Father. He keeps on encouraging us and teaching us and sometimes the lessons are difficult just like the lessons my drill instructors taught me. It takes time for us shed off the sins of this world and learn to walk in unison with God, but over time and never giving up, we can and will. This is what living a life on THE PATH looks like.   

March 1996. I landed in San Diego, California to start my journey into becoming a Marine. Immediately, I was told to get on a bus. The bus was headed to Marine Corps Recruit Depot and those famous yellow footprints. That was the beginning of a journey that would change the rest of my life. Almost immediately upon arrival, my Drill instructors reminded me that I was not worthy to be called a Marine or even look at other Marines. Yes, I wore a uniform every day, but I didn’t look like the rest. My uniform was wrinkled. I couldn’t roll up my sleeves. My pants were unbloused and my cover was a mess. I had no identifiers on my uniform. Unlike other Marines, my uniform lacked the US Marine patch, the Eagle Globe, and anchor on the pocket. I had nothing to identify that I was in the Marine Corps. This shocked me to my core.

Over the next three months, I earned the right to wear my uniform differently because I wanted the distinction my fellow marines donned with their uniform. I was taught to take pride in how I looked. This was not just a uniform that I wore. This uniform said that I was a United States Marine and that I belonged to something bigger than myself. I represented the people that came before me and would represent the people who come after me. Because of the sacrifices that I made, I was now set apart from others. From that day forward every time I put on the uniform, I would stand a little taller, feel more confident, and know that I was a part of something bigger than myself.

Colossians 3:12 says, “Since God Chose you to be the holy (set apart) people he loves, you must clothe yourself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” 

What would happen if I approached my relationship with God the same way I took to wearing the uniform. What if I got up every morning and clothed myself in mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience? I would stand a little taller and walk with a little more confidence. God has set us apart and calls us his children. It is our responsibility to make the daily decision to get up and put on His uniform. When we do this, we know we are making a difference in the world. It is our mission to choose to live a life set apart. Not because we are better than others, rather just different. We are charged with a mission; a mission to live a life that is an example to others and that is a witness for the Kingdom. When I put on my Marine Corps uniform, it said to people around me that I was a Marine. They had different expectations of me. I had a responsibility to the Marine Corps, my country, and to myself. By clothing ourselves with the uniform of God, we carry a divine responsibility to our Heavenly Father. 

Last week my Pastor shared a message on Revelations 2:5. It says, “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” When I heard him read this, the first thing that went through my mind was how my passion for reading God’s word had changed. I still enjoy reading God’s word, but I can remember when I couldn’t get enough of it. I would fall asleep reading my Bible, and always high-lighting verses and making notes.
The second thing it says in this verse is to repent, this is a word that I believe gets a bad wrap. I know that I have to remind myself what this word means. When I heard it that morning, I felt guilt and shame. This word is usually tied to regret or sorrow for doing something that quickly turns to guilt and shame. But repent also means to change one’s mind, stop what you are doing or not doing, turn around and go the other way.
So what does this mean? We must remember what it was like to have a passion for spending time with our heavenly father, to pursue our wife before we were married, or how we played and spent time with our kids, and even better how we took care of ourselves and the feelings that came from working out. It is time to remember all of the great things that we have done and been a part of, time to turn around and start doing them again. Some days we may fall off the path, but that is why we must repeat them every day. Make them a habit. Practicing them every day is the secret. As Christian men, we get to live in freedom from falling off the path, and because we have the freedom, we must also have discipline. Discipline to get up every day and repeat.
When we live a life on the path, it is up to us to make a choice every day about how we want to live. Do you want to remember the good things that God has given us? A heavenly father that loves us, a wife that wants and needs us, living a life that we are proud of, a life that has a purpose and mission. This is our mission to remember, repent, and repeat.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5. As men, we are the reflection of God’s light in this world. But what kind of light are we, and how are we using our light? 

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105. When we are on the path, we reflect God’s light in this broken and dark world. As Christian men, it is our responsibility to be the reflection of God’s light to the path. We must let His light shine through us in all areas of our lives. In our relationships, our health, through our work practices and in our character. Being on the path is not about living a better life because we want to be successful in our jobs, physically fit, or any other personal gain. Living a life on the path means that we are a living reflection of God’s light. 

Even in the chaos and darkness of this world, He is always a light for us. We have been designed, chosen, and created to be light in this world. It is our mission if we choose to surrender to God and let His light shine through us. We are not just a light in the darkness; we also help light the path. By living a life on the path, we bring light to it. We are allowing others to witness our examples and draw near to Him.