If You Don't Know Where You're Going...You Just Might End Up Someplace Else!

But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves,

not having been baptized by John (Luke 7:30, NASB).

We hear a lot about the importance of “purpose-driven lives,” but is it enough to follow any purpose…or does it matter whose purpose we choose to follow?

The above verse in Luke tells us that the Pharisees and lawyers rejected God’s purpose for their lives. Why? Because they hadn’t been baptized by John. What does that have to do with it?

John the Baptist preached repentance. He was all about getting in people’s faces and warning them to repent. Simply put, he was telling them they were going the wrong way—their own way—and they needed to turn around (the meaning of repentance) and go the right way—toward God, rather than away from Him. Because these supposedly successful Pharisees and lawyers had not repented, they were headed in the wrong direction—away from God—and therefore they couldn’t help but miss God’s purpose for their lives because they had willfully chosen to reject it.

Are we any different? Of course not. We all begin our earthly journeys on our own paths. We may or may not consciously realize we are rejecting God and His purpose for us, but whether we are aware of it or not doesn’t change the fact that we are doing so. At some point, if we don’t want to end our lives being separated from God, we need to turn around and head in the right direction.

Fellow author and dear friend Susan Meissner posted a “Yogi Berra-ism” on Facebook that said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” I love Yogi’s statements and always get a chuckle from them. This one, however, is deeper than I’m sure he realized. In fact, it has eternal implications. If we have chosen to live like the Pharisees and lawyers spoken of by Luke and continue on our own way rather than repenting (turning around) and heading back toward God, we will indeed miss out on His purpose for our lives. And when we breathe our last, regardless of how many supposed successes or accomplishments we may have accredited to our name here on earth, we will have nothing to show for the gift of life that our great Creator has bestowed on us.

If we are to fulfill God’s purpose for us, we must first understand where we are going. If our path is taking us away from God, rather than toward Him, it’s time to turn around and go the right way. We certainly don’t want to “wind up someplace else” now, do we?

Does Forgiven Mean Forgotten?

As one who has worked in jail/prison ministry for many years, including interviewing such notorious criminals as Charles "Tex" Watson of the Manson Family and serving as editor for the personal memoirs of David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz (both now dedicated Christians), I am concerned at the controversy over the fate of those who become believers after being convicted of a serious crime.

I have heard the argument that if a person has been forgiven by the ultimate Judge, he should no longer have to face the full extent of his punishment and that somehow leniency is in order because the person has truly repented and been born again and is no longer a threat to society. I have also heard the argument that "jailhouse conversions" aren't worth the so-called paper they're written on and should therefore have no bearing on a prisoner's sentence.

There is merit in both arguments. I, for one, believe jailhouse conversions--if they are truly conversions and not dramatic attempts to gain freedom from incarceration--are as legitimate as conversions that take place anywhere else. I also believe that the One Judge over the universe, before whom we will all one day stand, has precedence over human law. Whether or not we believe someone is "worthy" of forgiveness is irrelevant. If God declares it so, then it is so.

But does being converted and spared eternal punishment after we die automatically preclude our need to pay the price for our crimes on earth? Does being forgiven by God mean our sins are forgotten by the world? Not at all. Though the change that comes from being born into God's family may impact the way others perceive and relate to us in this world, as well as the way we spend whatever time we have left on this planet, it does not necessarily change the conditions of our earthly sojourn, whether we are inmates convicted of crimes against society or simply individuals living in various life situations. As many inmates I have spoken to over the years and who have become believers while incarcerated have told me, "I have the joy of knowing I will go to be with the Lord when I leave this place; until then, I will serve wherever God has me--in prison or otherwise." Those prisoners who have experienced true conversions also know that prison walls and jail cells cannot prevent them from being free once the Son of God has made them "free indeed." They also know that many outside the confines of correctional institutions are in prisons of their own making, refusing to repent and be set free.

That said, may I suggest that you consider reading my latest novel, My Son, John, from Sheaf House, which deals with this very subject. This poignant, gripping story of heartbreak, loss, and unconditional love will challenge you to walk in a level of freedom you may never have considered before.

You can find out more about the book, watch the accompanying video trailer, and order a copy directly from my website, www.kathimacias.com.

Blessings, beloved, as you walk in the freedom that has been purchased at such a costly price!