How Far is Too Far?

Speaking at a conference recently, this question was asked: "How far is too far?"

There is a problem with that question. It's the wrong one. The real question should be, "How close can I get to Jesus so that all that is around me, all the temptations, fade?"

1 John 1:5 says "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (NIV) In Him, there is no darkness at all.

So, if you find yourself asking question #1: "How far is too far?" maybe it is because you are not pursuing #2; getting as close to Jesus as you possibly can be.

Kathleen Dillard said, "You have as much of Jesus as you want." Let's be honest and look at our lives. Are we girls who want Him so much that there is no darkness in our lives?

Hard question, but the evidence should make it easy to answer.

God is light; in him there is no darkness. Maybe it's time for a change.

What's The Wise Thing?

If you are joining me here today through my devotion, Here is the Path, welcome! If you haven't had a chance to read it, please do!

Life is full of choices. What classes should I take next year? Where should I go to college? Should I use my money to go on that missions trip with my youth group or get that car that I really need? As I mentioned in my devo, some answers the Bible makes very clear. But what about those that are not?

In Andy Stanley's book, The Principle of the Path, Andy gives some great advice. He says that when we hit up against those decisions in life that we can't find answers for clearly in the Bible, we should ask ourselves this very simple question, "What is the wise thing?". You see, every choice we make is a step and each step evenutually leads down a path to a destination. Is that destination where you want to end up?

Let's say you are trying to decide if you should play lacrosse this spring or try out for the Chamber choir at your school? You know that with the classes you are taking and the demands that each would put on you schedule that it wouldn't be wise to try to do both. So how do you know what to do? Ask yourself the question: What would be the wise decision? Is it wise for you to have a physical outlet to help you to keep your sanity or are you hoping one day to be able to use your music in your future and this group would be a great place to grow? They both sound great. What is the wise thing to do?

When we ask God for His clear direction plus ask this simple question, often a peace will rise up in our hearts that makes the right choice a bit more obvious. Just remember to ask Your Father; He always knows best!