The Only Way

It is incredible how many options people have today for living a more comfortable or more enjoyable life. Our grandparents never imagined the means of communication or recreation that any of us enjoy or can have! The same is true when it comes to religion and spiritual needs.

Everywhere people talk about spirituality, and there seem to be many options for enriching people’s spiritual lives. Everyone seems to accept that we human beings have spiritual needs and that they are just as vital as our physical needs.

The fact is that many options are available to anyone who wants to attend to those needs in their life. I would like to draw my readers’ attention to a biblical warning: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12).

Some travelers were heading to a Christian camp. They took the road along the northern coast, where very beautiful scenery can be seen. They were enjoying nature and praising God for the beauty of his creation when they passed a junction where, years earlier, they used to turn onto another road—the shorter route to the camp.

“Let’s go this way,” someone said, thinking they would arrive sooner.

They did not know that the road had been destroyed and was now impassable. After struggling along for a few kilometers, they decided to turn back and take the road they had been on, which, although it added a few kilometers to the journey, was safer. It was also much more beautiful. Soon afterward, from the Bacunayagua Bridge—the tallest concrete structure in Cuba—they were enjoying one of the country’s most breathtaking views. There, the same person who had suggested taking the other road remarked:

“The shortest route truly isn’t always the best, or the most enjoyable.”

This conclusion applies to the spiritual paths offered today, even within some so-called Christian churches. Some are shortcuts that promise quick and miraculous solutions but, in the long run, do not lead to genuine spiritual growth. Faithfully obeying the teachings of the Bible, willing to take up our cross as we follow Jesus, is the only way to grow spiritually and become what God wants and desires us to be.

God bless you all!