A DIFFERENT PATH

IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE ARE ALL GUIDED BY SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IN OUR LIVES, EVEN THOSE OF US WHO CLAIM TO BE SOMEWHAT SELF SUFFICIENT.  BE IT IN A GOOD OR BAD WAY, TO SOME EXTENT, WE ARE ALL A "FOLLOWER" AT SOME POINT.  NO MATTER HOW STRONG ANY OF US ARE, WE ALL HAVE A TENDENCE TO NEED AND RESPOND TO THE LEAD OF OTHERS.  NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A LEADER OR A FOLLOWER WE ARE, NONE OF US ARE COMPLETELY SELF SUFFICIENT. 

I HAVE A PRETTY STRONG PERSONALITY AND COULD BE CONSIDERED SOMEWHAT OF A LEADER.  I AM PRETTY OPINIONATED AND FIND IT QUITE SIMPLE TO VOICE MY THOUGHTS.  HOWEVER, FOR MANY YEARS, I WAS FOOLED BY THE DEVIL AND BECAME A FOLLOWER OF HIS WAYS.  DONT GET ME WRONG, I STILL WAS ABLE TO SHOW LOVE AND CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE I CARED ABOUT, BUT I WAS A FOLLOWER OF A LIFE OF SIN.  I FOUND IT EASY TO LIVE A SINFUL LIFESTYLE AND ENGAGED IN ALL SORTS OF UNGODLY BEHAVIOR.  YOU NAME IT, I DID IT.  NOTHING REALLY BOTHERED ME, NOTHING PHASED ME, NOTHING OFFENDED ME.  IF IT SEEMED LIKE FUN, I DID IT, WITHOUT CONCERN OR MUCH THOUGHT AT ALL.  I DIDNT THINK ABOUT OR CARE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY ACTIONS.  I FOLLOWED THE PATH OF SIN.

MY LIFE AS A FOLLOWER OF SIN LED TO ONLY HEARTBREAK AND UNHAPPINESS.  IT LED TO SERIOUS DESTRUCTION.  IT WAS AT MY LOWEST POINT THAT THE GOOD LORD APPEARED IN ALL HIS GLORY.  HE SHOWED ME THE ERR OF MY WAYS AND PUT A STRONG CONVICTION ON MY HEART.  IT WAS AT  MY LOWEST POINT THAT I EXPERIENCED GODLY SORROW.  WHEN I WAS ALONE, LOST AND UNLOVABLE, GOD APPEARED ON THE SCENE.  HE RESTORED MY HOPE, MY FAITH AND MY DETERMINATION TO LIVE, NOT ONLY TO EXIST!  THROUGH HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY AND HIS LOVE, MY LIFE WAS RESTRUCTURED.  I NO LONGER AM CONTENT TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF SIN.   IN GOD'S EYES, I AM WORTH SO VERY MUCH MORE THAN THAT.  I KNOW NOW THAT THROUGH HIM, I CAN HAVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE AND A GLORIOUS FUTURE.  I AM A SUCCESS IN THE EYES OF GOD, A JEWEL IN HIS CROWN, A REFLECTION OF HIS LOVE. 

I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT GOD SAW FIT TO RESTRUCTURE MY LIFE, TO RIGHT MY WRONGS AND TO LOVE ME AT MY WORST.  HE HAS GIVEN ME HOPE FOR MY FUTURE AND HAS PLACED ME ON THE PATHWAY TO HEAVEN.  ALL IT TOOK WAS A DESIRE TO CHANGE, AN HONEST HEART AND GODLY SORROW.  HE SET MY FEET ON SOLID GROUND. 

IF HE DID IT FOR ME, HE CAN AND HE WILL SURELY DO IT FOR YOU!

PSALM 119:105  YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET AND A LIGHT TO MY PATH