Rerouting...

Good Morning,

Several years ago, I was on a cattle round up in Colorado.  Deep in the trees and snow I became separated from the other cowboy wannabees and got lost.  I felt in control because  I am a man after all and do not need directions!  I continued in the direction I felt was right.  After a short while my horse began to want to go left. I would steer him back to the right, but he would always want to go back to the left. This went on for some time until I had to come to grips with something.  My horse actually knew where to go and I obviously didn’t.  My intentions were to meet up with the others, but I was not heading in the right direction.  So, in a moment of great wisdom (or perhaps desperation) I let my horse have his head. Ten minutes later I was on the road back to the ranch where I met up with two other riders who had gotten lost.

Proverbs 27:12 says: The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.  In other words, the difference between the prudent and the simple (even though they have the same information) is that the prudent take refuge and the simple just keeps going in the same direction.  The prudent change their course.  The simple ignore all the warning signs.  Who would be so stupid you ask? The answer is, almost all of us.

Every time you decide not to exercise you lessen your chances for a better future.  Every time you light up a cigarette, every time you look at porn, every time you spend money you don’t have, every time you ignore your need for fellowship and worship, and every time you choose you ignore your diet you act as though what you do today is in no way connected to tomorrow.  You see danger; you know the facts; yet instead of taking refuge, you just keep going. We all do it at one time or another.

The trouble is if you do it long enough the only options you will have are poor ones.  You say, “I can always ask for forgiveness”. That is true, praise God! But that does not erase the consequences of your previous choices. Those you still must deal with.  That is simply the way God designed things to work. Direction trumps intention every single time, period (Andy Stanley).

Now please be aware that when you change course, it may even seem extreme to you and certainly to some of those around you.  Yet, down the road that same decision will look like common sense – it will look brilliant.  Taking refuge in danger is always worth it.

That day in the woods I had a decision to make.  I could observe the warning signs of continuing on my course, or I could swallow my pride and turn my horse to the left.  I am here writing this because I “took refuge” -- and am I ever glad I did.

Is it time for some course corrections in your life?  Are you the prudent or the simple?

Live this week on purpose,
Ron Klopfenstein

(This series was inspired by the book The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley)