When Things Don't Go the Way You ExpectSample

Follow Jesus

When you’re following God’s plan for your life – or getting back on track after things don’t go the way you expected -- it makes sense to follow someone who knows the way.

Of course, Jesus knows the way! The Bible says that He is the way. Even if things have happened that you didn’t expect, you can end up in the right place if you keep following Him. You do that by spending time reading and meditating on His Word, or by praying. Jesus knows the way to victory! He knows the way through the pain, frustrations, and disappointments.

But although Jesus knows the best way for you to go, He’ll never force you to follow Him. It’s always going to be your choice.

One day some friends and I were going to a restaurant in a town that was several miles away. There were 12 of us, so we were in several cars, but not every driver knew the way. We decided to follow John, who was familiar with the area. All except for Carl, who thought he knew a shortcut and decided to beat the rest of us to the restaurant.

Guess what happened? Carl chose not to follow John —and he got lost!

Like Carl, you always get to choose to follow the one who knows the way – or not. Much of the recovery and success of your life is up to you, especially after something unexpected happens. You are the only one who can decide to follow Jesus closely by making time for Him in your life.

If you’ve been a Christian for a while, there have probably been times when you were following Jesus more closely than others, and you probably found that when you follow closely, things go better. Let’s do more of that!

When you’re right up close to the One who created the universe and knows all things, your peace is greater and your way is smoother. You can overcome unexpected setbacks and recover in the right direction quicker. That’s what happened to me after my husband died (you can read more about it in my book Why God Why: What To Do When Life Doesn’t Make Sense)

Rest assured that God’s good plan for your life is still in place. Do whatever it takes to follow Him as closely as possible.