God's way is always the best way

Can I begin today by being vulnerable with you?  The last few months have been difficult.  I could go on and on detailing the trials and tribulations I have encountered, but the bottom line is, this time has left me emotionally spent.  To top it all off, recently, after another disappointing episode, I found myself reeling and exhausted. 

While I may have been shopping at a grocery store, inwardly I was fighting a spiritual battle.  It was kind of like those old cartoons where there’s a good angel on one shoulder, and a bad angel on the other.  The bad angel was whispering, “Do you really feel that this living for God stuff is worth it?  Wouldn’t you be better off doing your own thing?”  In that low moment, I chose to reaffirm my trust in God, no matter the cost.  This decision seemed to end my spiritual boxing match, and I subsequently wanted to get on my knees, and raise a song of praise to the Lord.

I have often said over the years that God’s way is the best way.  And the reason I begin with this story is to show that I don’t say those words just because it sounds good; no, when I proclaim that God’s way is always the best way, I am speaking to myself first and foremost.  This is a deeply held conviction in my heart of hearts.  That’s not to say that I always choose to go God’s way.  To be honest, there are instances where I foolishly decide to go my own sinful, selfish way.  But God is gracious to pick me up, clean me up, and put me back in the race.  And I think to myself how much better it would have been to go God’s way in the first place.

Back in March of 2015, I wrote a blog that I entitled “Yield to God’s way.”  I stated that I was going to present an important truth.  And I prefaced it by saying, if it turned out to be the last blog I ever wrote, I would be thrilled if it was found to be liberating (this was a particularly fascinating remark, as at the time, I had no way of knowing that my dad was going to unexpectedly pass away a few months later).  What did I end up saying?  It’s actually today’s blog title: God’s way is always the best way. 

Of course, the fact that God’s way is best doesn’t mean that we will always understand just what it is He is doing.  Why He allowed something to happen.  Or why He decided not to heal someone.  This is because “we know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9), while God knows and sees it all.  That can trip some people up.  Later on in the same blog, I gave an illustration that I want to conclude with today.  I wrote:

‘Many years ago, I tried my hand at writing fiction.  I wrote several Batman stories.  Suppose that, in the midst of my stories, Batman and Robin were able to converse with each other.  Good versus evil stories need to have struggle.  That's a simple fact.  Pretend that there have been a string of disappointments and setbacks for the Dynamic Duo.  After a particularly bleak chapter, Batman and Robin are frustrated.  With that in mind, let’s eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Can you believe this writer?"  Robin asks.  "Can you believe what he has been doing to us?  The direction this guy is taking us in is pathetic.”  “Yes,” Batman replies.  “It’s quite clear that he has no idea what he is doing; he doesn’t know what is best for us, or for Gotham City.”  “I almost feel like I should write this story myself,” Robin counters.  “I would do a much better job than he ever will."  At this point, Alfred speaks up.  He says, “Sirs, please.  You must not speak this way.  The writer cares for you both a great deal.  Trust him.  He knows what he is doing.  In the end, I have little doubt that he will make all things right.”  And, indeed, in every Batman story I wrote, justice, righteousness, and good prevailed.’

Kevin