The Principle of the Path

I'm listening to Andy Stanley's most recent book, The Principle of the Path... and it's turning out to be a rather great "read". Andy is one of those guys that seems to have figured out how to get from here to there, so I figured I’d read his book about how to get from where I am to where I want to be.  

The key idea of the book is that "Direction - not intention - determines your destination."  It's a useful concept... especially because many of us (myself included) often convince ourselves that good intentions are enough.  Ah, many roads ARE paved with good intentions... but many don't lead where we want to be going, frankly.

Here are some of the highlights from my book:

• “To get from where we don’t want to be to where we do want to be requires two things: time and a change of direction.”
• “Direction–not intentions, hopes, dreams, prayers, beliefs, intellect, or education–determines destination.”
• “We should break the habit of drawing a circle around individual decisions and events and dismissing them as isolated occurrences. These are steps. Steps that lead somewhere.”
• “Prudent people look as far down the road as possible when making decisions.”
• “Christians start talking about forgiveness as if somehow forgiveness serves as an escape hatch from the outcome of bad decisions.”
• “When happiness points in one direction while wisdom, truth, integrity, and common sense point in another, that’s when really smart people start doing really stupid things.”
• “Your heart can’t be trusted… The truth is, if you let it, your heart will direct you down a path that leads to the very spot you most want to avoid.”
• “The choices are now. The outcomes are later. The decisions you make today have ramifications down the road.”
• “One never accomplishes the will of God by breaking the law of God, violating the principles of God, or ignoring the wisdom of God.”
• “I am constantly amazed at how resistant folks are to take their cues from people who are where they want to be.”
• “We don’t drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there.”

Simple principles in this book, but their implications have an enormous impact on the outcomes of our lives.  I encourage you to pick up the book or download it from Audible.com like we did. 

I’m leaving lots of great quotes and stories out of this post. It has got me thinking about a lot of excellent applications and course corrections for my own life... as well as how I can best "help" those who are experiencing the end results of the directions in life they have chosen.  ~Brady

Not Guilty. Not Innocent.

Cleared of murdering her young daughter Caylee, Casey Anthony, 25, was instead found guilty of just four counts of lying to law enforcement and could be released from jail as early as Thursday. The jaw-dropping verdict stunned many who had been following the case and were horrified to hear that Casey's little daughter had been buried in a swamp... and that Casey had not reported her disappearance to police, but that instead the single mom went out shopping and drinking and partying for 31 days as if she had not a care in the world.

Casey Anthony juror Jennifer Ford said that she and the other jurors cried and were "sick to our stomachs" after voting to acquit Casey Anthony of charges that she killed her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.

"I did not say she was innocent," said Ford, who had previously only been identified as juror No. 3. "I just said there was not enough evidence. If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be…"

"Everyone wonders why we didn't speak to the media right away," Ford said. "It was because we were sick to our stomach to get that verdict. We were crying, and not just the women. It was emotional and we weren't ready. We wanted to do it with integrity and not contribute to the sensationalism of the trial."   (ABCnews.com)

The verdict, while hailed by some as a triumph of law, has been decried by others as a travesty of justice.  In truth, we may never really know whether or not little Caylee died by accident or at the hand of her mother.  It was either a horrific accident... or a horrific murder. 

Sadly, God's Word tells us that we can and should expect more and more of such terrible things as the history of humankind comes to its close.  St. John's Revelation describes even more shocking events -- especially crimes and brutality against God's chosen people -- in the closing months and days of the world. Thankfully, our study of the book of Revelation also gives us a glimpse of the Lamb of God, who suffered greatly... and now reigns in victory over all.  

The suffering and injustice Jesus endured was not the end of His story... or ours.  True, like Caylee we may not experience much justice in this world... nor should we expect it.  Our own Lord and Savior was abused and mistreated by sinful men, yet as a lamb going to the slaughter, He did not open His mouth.  In meekness, Jesus endured shame, suffering, and the cross for those loved Him... AND for those who mocked, shamed, and crucified Him.

As His followers, marked by His name, we should expect little different. But even when injustice seems all around us, and unfair verdicts are handed down by the courts of human opinion, we take great comfort that the final victory has already been won by our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ... and shared with us.  

In His wounds, we find pardon for our crimes.

In His reign, we discover peace amidst the chaos.

And in His time, perfect justice will be done.