Lord, or Rabbi?

A few years ago we were hiking in Utah at a place called Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It's about 7 miles out and back and ends at a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole. We had finished our visit at the waterfall and were making our way back to the car. I was in the lead at this particular moment when I hear "where are you going?" I explained that I was going this way down the trail. My traveling companion then said, "no, this is the path we want", pointing to a different path. My sense of direction had failed me and I was about to venture down a path that would not have led us to the safety of our car.

Sometimes we find ourselves doing that in our walk with God, don't we? We're moving along in life, having a good time, and then all of a sudden you hear a voice saying, hold on, that's not the path you want. Then we have some decisions to make, don't we friends?

When we are faced with tough decisions and circumstances, our response to these all come down to our view of Christ, don't they? In Matthew 26 Jesus is having the last supper with his disciples. While they were eating, Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me". (v 21) In verse 22 we see that one by one, the disciples ask him "surely, you don't mean me, Lord?" One by one they want to know if they will be the one who betrays their Lord. But in verse 25, we come to Judas who says "surely, you don't mean me, Rabbi?"

Rabbi, teacher. When we face decisions in our life, when we must choose a path, do we see Christ as Lord? Do we say, Lord, you have complete control and ruling and authority over my life and this situation. You lead and I will follow. Or do we place him on a smaller, lesser pedestal as Judas did? Rabbi, teacher, what wisdom can you give me in this moment? Tell me, and I will see if I agree or not.

Had my traveling companion not corrected my path, we would probably still be wandering around that desert to this day, trying to find our way home. If we want to find our way out of these deserts, out of these feelings of being lost, the only way is to put Christ in his proper place, as Lord over our lives. He is ready to lead us when we submit to him as our savior. And once we submit, we get the best traveling companion of all, the Holy Spirit, to indwell in us and help us to navigate these paths of life.

Questions: What desert are you wandering around right now, friend? Have you given your life to Christ? Have you come to him in repentance and faith and accepted him as your savior? If not, what is stopping you?