The Way of Life

Our situation, say the Greek Fathers, is like that of the Israelite people in the desert of Sinai: we live in tents, not houses, for spiritually we are always on the move. We are on a journey through the inward space of the heart, a journey not measured by the hours of our watch or the days of the calendar, for it is a journey out of time into eternity.

. . . Christianity is more than a theory about the universe, more than teachings written down on paper; it is a path along which we journey – in the deepest and richest sense, the way of life.

There is only one means of discovering the true nature of Christianity. We must step out upon this path, commit ourselves to this way of life, and then we shall begin to see for ourselves. So long as we remain outside, we cannot properly understand. Certainly we need to be given directions before we start; we need to be told what signposts to look out for, and we need to have companions. Indeed, without guidance from others it is scarcely possible to begin the journey. But directions given by others can never convey to us what the way is actually like; they cannot be a substitute for direct, personal experience. Each is called to verify for himself what he has been taught, each is required to re-live the Tradition he has received. . . No one can be an armchair traveler on this all-important journey. No one can be a Christian at second hand. God has children, but he has no grandchildren.

(from the Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware in Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson and Michael Benson (1989). Deeper Life Press, p. 25-26.)

Christianity is not just a way to think. It is a way to live. It is not simply something we assent to in our minds; it is seen in every aspect of our lives. We choose each day to live our way or His way. It is a choice revealed in our actions much more than our words.

One of the most important choices I am making to live His way is to spend time with Him. This has been a struggle for me since day one of this journey with Jesus. But I am learning to start there. Instead of trying to do His work, I am seeking to let Him change me. That will not happen if I spend my life trying to live for Him at the expense of living with Him. There is no gimmick or substitute to replace time with God. To live His way is to live with Him.

We want instant results – instant change, instant peace, instant answers, etc. But God’s work on us is more like what we see each spring. If you stare at a tree, it doesn’t seem like anything is happening. But if you keep looking over the course of days and weeks, you begin to see growth. First, there’s buds. They grow. Then you see blossoms or leaves beginning to come. Growth. Fruit. It takes time, but when you plant yourself in God’s presence, growth and fruit are inevitable.

If you want to follow the Way, you have to spend time with the one who knows the Way . . . oh yeah, who IS the Way.

And then and only then, is it well with our soul.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

Though Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin – oh, the bliss of this glorious tho’t –
My sin – not in part, but the whole –
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend.
“Even so” – it is well with my soul.

It is well – with my soul.
It is well,
It is well with my soul.
H.G. Spafford