As a young adult, you are in the season of life where some decisions can be life-defining. Use God’s Word to choose the right path in life. When you do, your plans will align with His, and you will be set on a path that leads to true peace, joy, and hope for a future.
You probably have goals and plans for where you see yourself 10 or 20 years from now. And maybe you are making steps toward those goals by working on a college degree or starting a job in your field of interest. Those tangible, concrete steps help you choose the right path toward your intended destination.
But sometimes, as young adults, there is a disconnect between our plans and our path.
When we think about how to choose the right path, we might say to ourselves….
- ”I plan to have a healthy marriage…someday.”.
- “I plan to have a stable financial life…someday.”
- “I plan to live a godly life…someday.”
Yet, we can get caught up in the moment and make decisions that contradict those plans. We take the easy or fun path rather than choose the right path. But if we want to reach our goals, we must be intentional about our choices now because it is our path, not our plans that determine where we end up.
How to Get on and Choose the Right Path
Choose the right path by choosing Jesus, making Him Lord and Savior of your life.
- He is the one who gives eternal life through His death on the cross.
- He is the one who upholds the universe by the word of His power.
- He is the one who saves and redeems you.
- He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus gives us two directions to help us choose the right path forward…
- Repent
- Follow Him
“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent for the kingdom is at hand.’ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately dropped their nets and followed Him.”– Matthew 4:17-20 (emphasis added)
But You’re Different, Right?
How we think that can be the biggest hurdle to choosing the right path in life.. Many of us have convinced ourselves we are headed in the right direction or think, “I’m different.” So, of course, all of the bad stuff that happens to other people when they go drink at parties, experiment with drugs, or date people they know they probably shouldn’t be dating won’t happen to you, right?
But guess what? You aren’t different. Your path will eventually catch up with you.
So where are you going spiritually? What are the paths in life you have chosen?
You can claim…
- “I plan to go to heaven,” but what about your actions proves you are on that path?
- “I’m a Christian,” but your path doesn’t give any evidence of that claim.
It’s confusing to the world when we say we are followers of Christ but are not doing what Christ tells us to do.
2 Steps to Choose the Right Path
- Repent.
The first step is to admit we are on the wrong path and then start changing our direction, or we’ll pay the price for decisions made in our 20s for the rest of our lives.
We have to be faithful and intentional with repentance. When we repent, we are changing how we think, which will change how we live.
- Follow Him.
In Matthew 4, the disciples dropped their nets immediately and followed Jesus. They didn’t wait for a more convenient time. They made a sacrifice. If you truly follow Jesus, you will have to drop some things. That may feel difficult. It may cost you.
Some of us want to keep our nets and still think we can follow Jesus, but it doesn’t work that way. Following Jesus is going to cost you something, but not following Jesus will cost you everything.
So ask yourself, “What do I need to drop to get on the path God wants me on?”
Remember…“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”–Romans 5:8
7 Bible Verses About Choosing the Right Path
Standing firm in God’s Word helps you choose the right path–the path God has for your life.
- Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct y our paths.”
- Psalm 32:8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”
- Psalm 16:9
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.”
- Psalm 16:11
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
- Psalm 37:23
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”
- Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
- Isaiah 30:21
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”
Hope When You’ve Chosen the Wrong Path
God still loves you, even when you are headed in the wrong direction. He gave His Son, Christ Jesus, so you could be saved. He hasn’t said to keep going down the wrong path even though you are saved.
Paul wrote in Romans 6:15…
- “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
Instead, Jesus said, “Come to Me. I don’t care where you are at now. I’ll clean you up. I’ll help you get on the right path. Choose the right path; choose Me.”
Maybe you’ve made a wreck out of your life. The good news is that the God we serve is compassionate and merciful, and He is our Heavenly Father who watches over us. He’s going to warn us.
Maybe He will send you someone to invite you to join them in biblical community, like Paradigm. Maybe He sent you to this blog right now.
Are you going to choose the right path and follow Him?
Sometimes we don’t see or heed the more subtle warning signs and need a more direct approach. He might allow us to wreck our lives because we need to go through something hard so He can get ahold of us.
If your intended destination is to come home to Jesus in heaven, choose the right path today. Move forward in your faith journey and connect with others who are on a path to pursue Jesus.
Grow in their faith, build authentic relationships, and discover what the Word of God says about how we live our lives.
